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All Rights Reserved.</div>By using this website, you accept the terms of our <div class="privacy"><a href="https://www.ajc.com/visitor-agreement/">Terms of Use</a>, <a href="https://www.ajc.com/privacy-policy/">Privacy Policy</a>, <a href="https://www.ajc.com/california-privacy-notice/">CCPA</a>, and understand your options regarding <a href="https://www.ajc.com/privacy-policy/#ad-choices">Ad Choices</a>.</div><div class="learn-more"><a href="https://jobs.coxenterprises.com/?prefilters=none&CloudSearchLocation=none&CloudSearchValue=none/">Learn about Careers at Cox Enterprises.</a></div></div></div></div></div></div></nav></header></div><main class=" b-sectionHome-padding"><header class="b-margin-bottom-d30-m30" data-pagezone="article-body"><div class="c-label-wrapper b-padding-top-15 b-contentMaxWidth"><span class="section-label">Real Life with Nedra Rhone</span></div><div class="c-header-gallery-image-video b-margin-bottom-d30-m20"><div class="article-headline-component b-margin-bottom-d30-m30 with-image is-label"><div class="headline"><div class="headline-body"><span class="section-label">Real Life with Nedra Rhone</span><h1 class="headline-text headline-text-long">RHONE: Will climate change chase coastal residents to metro Atlanta? </h1></div></div><div class="c-image-component image-landscape"><div class="image-component-image "><div class="enlargeImage-wrapper"><div class="lazyload-wrapper"><picture class="" style="display:block"><source srcSet="https://www.ajc.com/resizer/v2/75OI2OSCUZA4Y77RFWPCPPIICY.jpg?auth=38169d8e63112b8016e753b4fc188d0164544749f59486a1bfd3e230ed2c13df&width=1600&height=900&smart=true" media="(min-width: 1200px)"/><source srcSet="https://www.ajc.com/resizer/v2/75OI2OSCUZA4Y77RFWPCPPIICY.jpg?auth=38169d8e63112b8016e753b4fc188d0164544749f59486a1bfd3e230ed2c13df&width=1460&height=800&smart=true" media="(min-width: 768px)"/><img src="https://www.ajc.com/resizer/v2/75OI2OSCUZA4Y77RFWPCPPIICY.jpg?auth=38169d8e63112b8016e753b4fc188d0164544749f59486a1bfd3e230ed2c13df&width=790&height=440&smart=true" alt="Extreme weather is resulting in the next great migration of Americans as residents in coastal areas seek refuge in cities like Atlanta. Here people wait in line to get gas at a filling station near Bradenton, Fla., after Hurricane Milton, Oct. 11, 2024. (Caitlin Ochs/The New York Times)" fetchpriority="high" width="790" height="440"/></picture></div><p class="photo-credit-text">Credit: NYT</p></div></div><p class="photo-credit-text">Credit: NYT</p><div class="c-caption-new text-preview" id="captionID-1954271" tabindex="0"><div class="photo-caption-text">Extreme weather is resulting in the next great migration of Americans as residents in coastal areas seek refuge in cities like Atlanta. Here people wait in line to get gas at a filling station near Bradenton, Fla., after Hurricane Milton, Oct. 11, 2024. (Caitlin Ochs/The New York Times)</div></div></div></div></div><div class="c-articleMetaContainer b-contentMaxWidth b-margin-bottom-d30-m20 isSingleColumnArticle"><div class="c-articleMeta"><div class="c-articleBadge"></div><div class="c-articleMetadata"><div class="b-flexRow article-byline b-margin-bottom-d7-m7"><div class="byline "><span>By <a href="/staff/nedra-rhone/" rel="author">Nedra Rhone</a></span></div></div><span class="article-timestamp">Oct 18, 2024</span></div></div><div class="share-bar"><a class="fb-icon" href="https://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://ajc.com/opinion/columnists/opinion-will-climate-change-chase-coastal-residents-to-metro-atlanta/4E2ABDL5BVFWNMBTMGPW5Q6JAU/" target="__blank"><svg width="38" height="38" viewBox="0 0 38 38" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><circle cx="19.479" cy="18.765" r="17.871" stroke-width="1.258"></circle><path d="M23.962 10.257v2.74h-1.63c-.595 0-.996.124-1.203.373-.208.249-.312.622-.312 1.12v1.962h3.04l-.404 3.071h-2.636v7.876h-3.175v-7.876h-2.646v-3.071h2.646v-2.263c0-1.286.36-2.284 1.08-2.993.719-.71 1.677-1.064 2.874-1.064 1.017 0 1.805.042 2.366.125z" fill="#1877F2"></path></svg></a><a class="twitter-icon" href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://ajc.com/opinion/columnists/opinion-will-climate-change-chase-coastal-residents-to-metro-atlanta/4E2ABDL5BVFWNMBTMGPW5Q6JAU/&text=RHONE%3A%20Will%20climate%20change%20chase%20coastal%20residents%20to%20metro%20Atlanta%3F%20%20" target="__blank"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="38" height="38" viewBox="0 0 38 38" fill="none"><circle cx="18.5" cy="18.5" r="17.871" stroke="#CDCDCD" stroke-width="1.258"></circle><path d="M23.387 11.32h2.608L20.3 17.672 27 26.32h-5.246l-4.108-5.244-4.702 5.244h-2.608l6.091-6.796L10 11.319h5.38l3.713 4.793 4.294-4.793zm-.913 13.477h1.445l-9.326-12.035h-1.549l9.43 12.035z" fill="#222"></path></svg></a><a class="copy-icon" href="#" data-target="" tabindex="0" title="Click here to copy the link for this update to your clipboard."><svg width="38" height="38" viewBox="0 0 38 38" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><circle cx="19.479" cy="18.765" r="17.871" stroke-width="1.258"></circle><path d="M19.78 23.28a.99.99 0 0 1 0 1.401l-.49.49a4.947 4.947 0 0 1-6.995-6.996l1.987-1.987a4.945 4.945 0 0 1 6.786-.204.99.99 0 0 1 .082 1.4.99.99 0 0 1-1.4.083 2.967 2.967 0 0 0-4.07.121l-1.986 1.985a2.967 2.967 0 0 0 4.197 4.197l.49-.49a.992.992 0 0 1 1.399 0zm6.105-11.703a4.953 4.953 0 0 0-6.995 0l-.49.49a.99.99 0 1 0 1.401 1.4l.49-.49a2.968 2.968 0 1 1 4.197 4.198L22.5 19.163a2.967 2.967 0 0 1-4.07.117.994.994 0 0 0-1.318 1.484 4.945 4.945 0 0 0 6.783-.2l1.988-1.987a4.952 4.952 0 0 0 .003-6.999v-.001z" fill="#212126"></path></svg></a></div></div></header><article class="c-articleContent "><div class="c-articleBodyContainer isSingleColumnArticle is-deferred"><span data-pagezone="article-body"><div class="c-section b-sectionHome-padding full-width b-clear-both b-margin-bottom-d40-m20 "><div class="c-contentElements" data-start-index="0"><p class="story-text " data-index="1">When I moved to Atlanta in February 2006, some of the first people I met in the city were recent transplants from Louisiana.</p><p class="story-text " data-index="2">I have a deep affection for Louisiana, where I spent childhood summers visiting my maternal grandparents, so I viewed those encounters as connections to my past. Some of those people have moved on, but the ones who stayed in Atlanta were a harbinger of America’s next great migration.</p><div class="MP02 arc_ad b-margin-bottom-d30-m20 "></div><div class="RP01 arc_ad b-margin-bottom-d30-m20 "></div><p class="story-text " data-index="5">Six months earlier, Hurricane Katrina had swept through the bayou, decimating New Orleans and the coastlines and sending displaced residents to other places, including Atlanta.</p></div><div class="story-paygate_placeholder"><div class="c-contentElements" data-start-index="5"><p class="story-text " data-index="6">One year later, almost half the adults from the New Orleans metro area had not returned home. Most of them were living in Texas but a fair number (3.4% of previous New Orleans residents) had settled in Georgia, according to a <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4048822/" target="_blank">2014 study published in the population research journal “Demography.”</a> The majority of those who came to Georgia came to metro Atlanta and stayed. </p><p class="story-text " data-index="7">This marked a significant moment in a movement that demographer and sociologist, Mathew Hauer, has predicted will eventually include 350,000 to 550,000 climate migrants coming to metro Atlanta as sea levels continue to rise in coastal cities.</p><p class="story-text " data-index="8">Extreme weather events such as hurricanes, wildfires, drought, coastal flooding and heat waves are changing how we live and many of us are unaware of or are in denial about what lies ahead.</p><p class="story-subscription__placeholder subscription-promo b-margin-bottom-d40-m20"></p><p class="story-text " data-index="10">In this critical moment, with Georgia residents still reeling from the impact of Hurricane Helene and the state hosting Florida evacuees from Hurricane Milton, state and local leaders should feel compelled to jump-start the glacial pace at which we are addressing the challenges brought on by climate change.</p><div class="story-nativo_placeholder--moap b-clear-both "></div><section class="c-interstitialLink b-margin-bottom-d40-m20"><span class="prefix">Explore</span><a class="headline" href="https://www.ajc.com/news/business/parts-of-georgias-coast-are-sinking-see-where-the-problem-is-worst/F6WBI4DFBJD7BFHIZNZO2KEADA/" target="_self">Parts of Georgia’s coast are sinking. See where the problem is worst</a></section><p class="story-text " data-index="13">Hauer spent almost a decade directing the Applied Demography Program at the University of Georgia and his research is cited in <a href="https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374171735/onthemove" target="_blank">“On the Move” by Abrahm Lustgarten</a>, a detailed examination of how extreme weather will force many Americans to leave the cities they call home.</p><p class="story-text " data-index="14">Lustgarten has relied on Jairo Garcia, Atlanta’s former director of climate policy, to walk him through the city’s climate change efforts, beginning in 2017 when Garcia viewed Hauer’s research and realized the city would serve as a refuge for the entire southeastern region.</p><p class="story-text " data-index="15">“Atlanta was not prepared then,” Garcia said, “And it is not prepared now to receive this number of climate immigrants.”</p><p class="story-text " data-index="16">There has always been climate migration, but never quite at the pace or scale that we are likely to see in the coming decades. Even 10 years ago, the resettlement of people due to extreme weather had little precedent in America. Before Hurricane Katrina, there was Hurricane Andrew in 1992, which permanently displaced about 40,000 residents of Dade County, Florida. Most of them moved to the neighboring county.</p><p class="story-text " data-index="17">But the South and the Southeast are home to the most climate-vulnerable counties, according to the <a href="https://climatevulnerabilityindex.org/" target="_blank">U.S. Climate Vulnerability Index</a>. So moving to the next county or even to the next state is increasingly like trading one extreme weather event for one that feels less extreme — hurricanes for heat waves, storm surges for flash floods, large wildfires for smaller wildfires.</p><div class="MP03 arc_ad b-margin-bottom-d30-m20 "></div><div class="RP09 arc_ad b-margin-bottom-d30-m20 "></div><p class="story-text " data-index="20">Atlanta recently became the sixth largest metro in the U.S. even without the anticipated climate migration, bringing added pressure to our ongoing infrastructure challenges — including inadequate water supply, troubled stormwater drainage, lack of affordable housing, underfunded and underperforming public transportation, and horrible traffic.</p><section class="c-interstitialLink b-margin-bottom-d40-m20"><span class="prefix">Explore</span><a class="headline" href="https://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-news/noaa-issues-forecast-for-winter-in-georgia-and-the-rest-of-the-us/TY2244XHUBH4JL44HO5BJE2PDQ/" target="_self">Winter is coming. Here’s what it could have in store for Georgia</a></section><p class="story-text " data-index="22">Solutions to these issues are delayed by bureaucracy and budgets but these are things that must change quickly to accommodate an influx of people, and as Lustgarten notes we will only see improvements in the places where political will and adequate funding intersect.</p><p class="story-text " data-index="23">At the state level, leaders haven’t prioritized climate action and have often stymied efforts to address climate change. In Atlanta, city leaders have too often opted for climate solutions that favor economic growth and are supported by business leaders and real estate developers rather than protecting people living in the most vulnerable neighborhoods.</p><p class="story-text " data-index="24">Local climate activists say the term resilience, which most every state and municipality has used to indicate some form of climate strategy, is increasingly meaningless, a catchall for scattered plans that likely do not include a road map for managing rapid in-migration.</p><p class="story-text " data-index="25">On Monday, the Atlanta Regional Commission <a href="https://33n.atlantaregional.com/monday-mapday/welcome-to-atlanta" target="_blank">released data </a>showing the top 10 previous states of residence for in-migration to the 21-county Atlanta region. Florida, California and Texas claimed the top three spots. These are the most populous states in the nation, but they are also among the most climate-vulnerable states.</p><div class="PX01 arc_ad b-margin-bottom-d30-m20 "></div><p class="story-text " data-index="27">The northern half of Georgia sits in what Lustgarten called the heart of the sweet spot, the ideal livable climate for humans. Over the next 50 years, as the planet continues to warm, scientists predict ideal living conditions will inch northward.</p><p class="story-text " data-index="28">Now is the time to ask if we have the political will at every level to plan for the possibility of a metro area forever changed by climate migration? If not, the sweet spot may not be so sweet.</p><p class="story-text " data-index="29"><i>Read more on the Real Life blog (</i><a href="https://www.ajc.com/opinion/real-life-blog/"><i>www.ajc.com/opinion/real-life-blog/</i></a><i>) and find Nedra on Facebook (</i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AJCRealLifeColumn"><i>www.facebook.com/AJCRealLifeColumn</i></a><i>) and X (</i><a href="https://twitter.com/nrhoneajc"><i>@nrhoneajc</i></a><i>) or email her at </i><a href="mailto:Nedra.Rhone@ajc.com"><i>nedra.rhone@ajc.com</i></a><i>.</i></p></div></div></div></span><span data-pagezone="post-article-body"><div class="c-section full-width b-clear-both"></div><div class="c-section full-width b-clear-both"><div class="c-blogAuthor b-margin-bottom-30 "><p class="blogAuthor-title">About the Author</p><div class="blog-author-content"><div class="b-flexRow blog-author-content-heading has-image"><a href="/staff/nedra-rhone/" rel="author"><div class="content-profileImage"><div class="c-image-component image-landscape"><div class="image-component-image "><div class="enlargeImage-wrapper"><div class="lazyload-wrapper"><img src="https://www.ajc.com/resizer/v2/https%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Farc-authors%2Fajc%2F98f2f50c-d4da-49ae-9bde-27e4311ab5ad.png?auth=23c3f57cc3c3b25363712f81d1ceb3fbf22b950aecbfb71317780dcf92d52c3e&width=200&height=200&smart=true" alt="ajc.com" width="200" height="200" class=" square-image " style="display:none" fetchpriority="auto"/><div class="c-placeholder" style="display:flex;aspect-ratio:1;max-width:12.5rem;max-height:12.5rem;object-fit:cover;background:#f8f8f8;justify-content:center;align-items:center"><img alt="Placeholder Image" src="/pf/resources/logos/AJC/placeholder.svg?d=1836" style="width:20%;box-shadow:none"/></div></div></div></div></div></div></a><div class="content-authorName"><a href="/staff/nedra-rhone/" rel="author">Nedra Rhone</a><div class="content-authorSocial"><a href="https://twitter.com/nrhoneajc"><img src="/pf/resources/images/twitter-burger.svg?d=1836" alt="Follow Nedra Rhone on twitter" width="17" height="17"/></a></div></div></div><div class="b-flexRow"><p class="content-authorDescription">Nedra Rhone is a lifestyle columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution where she has been a reporter since 2006. A graduate of Columbia University School of Journalism, she enjoys writing about the people, places and events that define metro Atlanta.</p></div></div></div><div class="mostReadTitle">Keep Reading</div><div class="c-ttd-feature editors-picks"><div class="c-homeLeadContainer left-photo-display-class one-column"><div class="column-1"><div class="home-headline "><a href="/politics/georgias-governor-requests-122-billion-in-federal-aid-for-hurricane-helene/6BEFIPWPTVH63MYWZXKLKXSFJY/" class="homeList-image"><div class="c-image-component image-landscape"><div class="image-component-image "><div class="enlargeImage-wrapper"><div class="lazyload-wrapper"><img src="https://www.ajc.com/resizer/v2/J4DYUUITZKXJ7PYR4QT6EEI2FI.jpg?auth=7aa1921343b4bd7a9056b36a6b89404312ddfbbd4538c93c820d3121732906a2&width=1000&height=560&smart=true" alt="A crew cleans up debris in Hazelhurst in October after Hurricane Helene passed through the area. (Hyosub Shin/ Atlanta Journal-Constitution/TNS)" width="1000" height="560" class=" " style="display:none" fetchpriority="auto"/><div class="c-placeholder" style="display:flex;aspect-ratio:1.7857142857142858;max-width:62.5rem;max-height:35rem;object-fit:cover;background:#f8f8f8;justify-content:center;align-items:center"><img alt="Placeholder Image" src="/pf/resources/logos/AJC/placeholder.svg?d=1836" style="width:20%;box-shadow:none"/></div></div><p class="photo-credit-text">Credit: TNS</p></div></div></div></a><div class="headline-box"><a href="/politics/georgias-governor-requests-122-billion-in-federal-aid-for-hurricane-helene/6BEFIPWPTVH63MYWZXKLKXSFJY/" class="headline">Georgia’s governor requests $12.2 billion in federal aid for Hurricane Helene</a></div></div></div><div class="column-2"><div class="c-homeList false "><a href="/opinion/readers-write/G5NECNCFXZGALKOBWHGLR7ZJWQ/" class="homeList-image"><div class="c-image-component image-landscape"><div class="image-component-image "><div class="enlargeImage-wrapper"><div class="lazyload-wrapper"><img src="https://www.ajc.com/resizer/v2/ET32KJ4TDGWV6ET2AVOOMJJIDQ.jpg?auth=0490fd3ff31a85b8113d580adfdd3b14ab8f9cb5261cff26f205f6897078116f&width=220&height=220&smart=true" alt="PHIL SKINNER / PSKINNER@AJC.COM" width="220" height="220" class=" square-image " style="display:none" fetchpriority="auto"/><div class="c-placeholder" style="display:flex;aspect-ratio:1;max-width:13.75rem;max-height:13.75rem;object-fit:cover;background:#f8f8f8;justify-content:center;align-items:center"><img alt="Placeholder Image" src="/pf/resources/logos/AJC/placeholder.svg?d=1836" style="width:20%;box-shadow:none"/></div></div></div></div></div></a><div class="homeList-text"><div class="label-row"></div><div class="c-label-wrapper"></div><div class=" headline }"><a href="/opinion/readers-write/G5NECNCFXZGALKOBWHGLR7ZJWQ/" class=" trending-tease-story">Readers write</a></div></div></div><div class="c-homeList false "><a href="/politics/rural-georgia-counties-have-become-more-republican-over-past-5-presidential-elections/YXFD2FQUBVE4RCP47GOZYMO4UA/" class="homeList-image"><div class="c-image-component image-landscape"><div class="image-component-image "><div class="enlargeImage-wrapper"><div class="lazyload-wrapper"><img src="https://www.ajc.com/resizer/v2/IRRKC5BV23GT4DV4FRIC3JSLXE.JPG?auth=0d04440f775da770d11dd53eaf2fd99bf327538bb7f13471bd459f4ea79599dc&width=220&height=220&smart=true" alt="The Washington County Courthouse is located in downtown Sandersville. In five of the past six elections, a Democrat has been chosen for president in the east Georgia county. (Miguel Martinez/AJC 2024)" width="220" height="220" class=" square-image " style="display:none" fetchpriority="auto"/><div class="c-placeholder" style="display:flex;aspect-ratio:1;max-width:13.75rem;max-height:13.75rem;object-fit:cover;background:#f8f8f8;justify-content:center;align-items:center"><img alt="Placeholder Image" src="/pf/resources/logos/AJC/placeholder.svg?d=1836" style="width:20%;box-shadow:none"/></div></div><p class="photo-credit-text">Credit: Miguel Martinez</p></div></div></div></a><div class="homeList-text"><div class="label-row"></div><div class="c-label-wrapper"></div><div class=" headline }"><a href="/politics/rural-georgia-counties-have-become-more-republican-over-past-5-presidential-elections/YXFD2FQUBVE4RCP47GOZYMO4UA/" class=" trending-tease-story">How Georgia counties shifted in the 2024 election</a></div></div></div><div class="c-homeList false "><a href="/news/atlanta-news/atlanta-job-growth-modest-in-october-as-seasonal-hiring-lags/ECIQ7MFTKVGUFBRGVHXAZR4QMY/" class="homeList-image"><div class="c-image-component image-landscape"><div class="image-component-image "><div class="enlargeImage-wrapper"><div class="lazyload-wrapper"><img src="https://www.ajc.com/resizer/v2/EI4JKMA7WLZTPIVIPSTPLMCVZY.jpg?auth=d095fdd2517d8ad6e8e6b7a0d774ae94838ea017e328ede26b65481dc6edd642&width=220&height=220&smart=true" alt="The National Retail Federation predicts up to $989 billion in holiday retail sales, the best haul since 2019. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel/TNS)" width="220" height="220" class=" square-image " style="display:none" fetchpriority="auto"/><div class="c-placeholder" style="display:flex;aspect-ratio:1;max-width:13.75rem;max-height:13.75rem;object-fit:cover;background:#f8f8f8;justify-content:center;align-items:center"><img alt="Placeholder Image" src="/pf/resources/logos/AJC/placeholder.svg?d=1836" style="width:20%;box-shadow:none"/></div></div><p class="photo-credit-text">Credit: TNS</p></div></div></div></a><div class="homeList-text"><div class="label-row"></div><div class="c-label-wrapper"></div><div class=" headline }"><a href="/news/atlanta-news/atlanta-job-growth-modest-in-october-as-seasonal-hiring-lags/ECIQ7MFTKVGUFBRGVHXAZR4QMY/" class=" trending-tease-story">What metro Atlanta hiring in October tells us about the holiday season</a></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="b-flexRow b-flexColumn -mobile"><div class="endOfStory c-theLatest"><div class="mostReadTitle">The Latest</div><div class="c-homeLeadContainer left-photo-no-photo-display-class one-column"><div class="column-1"><div class="c-homeList false left-photo "><a href="/opinion/columnists/torpy-supreme-court-lets-hinky-ex-judge-off-the-hook/R7BPXGWXJ5BIXNX3NKKUNSBY2E/" class="homeList-image"><div class="c-image-component image-landscape"><div class="image-component-image "><div class="enlargeImage-wrapper"><div class="lazyload-wrapper"><img alt="Court of Appeals Judge Christian Coomer takes the stand on day one of his trial for alleged ethic violations at Cobb County Superior Court on Monday, October 17, 2022. (Natrice Miller/natrice.miller@ajc.com) " width="80" height="80" class=" square-image " style="display:none" fetchpriority="auto"/><div class="c-placeholder" style="display:flex;aspect-ratio:1;max-width:5rem;max-height:5rem;object-fit:cover;background:#f8f8f8;justify-content:center;align-items:center"><img alt="Placeholder Image" src="/pf/resources/logos/AJC/placeholder.svg?d=1836" style="width:20%;box-shadow:none"/></div></div><p class="photo-credit-text">Credit: Natrice Miller / Natrice.Miller@ajc.com</p></div></div></div></a><div class="homeList-text"><div class="label-row"></div><div class="c-label-wrapper"></div><div class=" headline }"><a href="/opinion/columnists/torpy-supreme-court-lets-hinky-ex-judge-off-the-hook/R7BPXGWXJ5BIXNX3NKKUNSBY2E/" class=" trending-tease-story">TORPY: Supreme Court lets hinky ex-judge off the hook</a></div></div></div><div class="c-homeList false no-photo "><div class="homeList-text"><div class="label-row"><div class="c-headline-label">OPINION</div></div><div class="c-label-wrapper"></div><div class=" headline }"><a href="/opinion/columnists/torpy-bubble-wrapping-kids-even-in-hard-scrabble-north-georgia/VS6PV7VKANCTTDV5NFYVEGZSHU/" class=" trending-tease-story">TORPY: Bubble wrapping kids even in ‘hardscrabble’ North Georgia</a></div></div></div><div class="c-homeList false no-photo "><div class="homeList-text"><div class="label-row"><div class="c-headline-label">OPINION</div></div><div class="c-label-wrapper"></div><div class=" headline }"><a href="/opinion/columnists/opinion-in-a-run-for-state-legislature-women-still-have-hurdles-to-jump/CW2VCN7YXZFZPM2BLC6OXUOQBE/" class=" trending-tease-story">RHONE: In a run for state legislature, women still have hurdles to jump </a></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="endOfStory"><div class="mostReadTitle">Featured</div><div class="c-homeLeadContainer left-photo-no-photo-display-class one-column"><div class="column-1"><div class="c-homeList false left-photo "><a href="/news/atlanta-news/dickens-administration-wants-to-dictate-changes-to-city-ig-office/OH7MDTCM6BF53KYHVMCWYIRXDI/" class="homeList-image"><div class="c-image-component image-landscape"><div class="image-component-image "><div class="enlargeImage-wrapper"><div class="lazyload-wrapper"><img src="https://www.ajc.com/resizer/v2/M3NWZO7AKOPFMNHHEX5APVXWAQ.jpg?auth=f62e5eb1f2d16fe0859feee11f64dea2b83e401b75d19fec6703c7a4fd1c0124&width=160&height=160&smart=true" alt="Inspector General Shannon Manigault sits among other attendees during the first meeting of a task force established to review the inspector general's authority at Atlanta City Hall, Tuesday, September 24, 2024, in Atlanta. The task force established to review the procedures of the Office of the Inspector General and Ethics Office met for the first time Tuesday. (Hyosub Shin / AJC)" width="160" height="160" class=" square-image " style="display:none" fetchpriority="auto"/><div class="c-placeholder" style="display:flex;aspect-ratio:1;max-width:10rem;max-height:10rem;object-fit:cover;background:#f8f8f8;justify-content:center;align-items:center"><img alt="Placeholder Image" src="/pf/resources/logos/AJC/placeholder.svg?d=1836" style="width:20%;box-shadow:none"/></div></div><p class="photo-credit-text">Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC</p></div></div></div></a><div class="homeList-text"><div class="label-row"></div><div class="c-label-wrapper"></div><div class=" headline }"><a href="/news/atlanta-news/dickens-administration-wants-to-dictate-changes-to-city-ig-office/OH7MDTCM6BF53KYHVMCWYIRXDI/" class=" trending-tease-story">Dickens administration wants to dictate changes to city IG office</a></div></div></div><div class="c-homeList false no-photo "><div class="homeList-text"><div class="label-row"></div><div class="c-label-wrapper"></div><div class=" headline }"><a href="/news/td-jakes-megachurch-pastor-with-ties-to-atlanta-suffers-medical-emergency/XSC5NW57CFAVHOQ5T23LL4ZNE4/" class=" trending-tease-story">T.D. Jakes, megachurch pastor with ties to Atlanta, suffers medical emergency </a></div></div></div><div class="c-homeList false no-photo "><div class="homeList-text"><div class="label-row"></div><div class="c-label-wrapper"></div><div class=" headline }"><a href="/sports/atlanta-united/predicting-atlanta-uniteds-end-of-season-roster-moves/PE6UIDSY4BBDTLRQCLF5QOY7BA/" class=" trending-tease-story">Predicting Atlanta United’s end-of-season roster moves</a></div></div></div></div><div class="column-2"></div></div></div></div></div></span></div></article><span data-pagezone="post-article-body"><div class="c-pb-content"><div data-fusion-lazy-id="f0fbLB5pDvgVGs"></div></div><div class="lazyload-wrapper "><div class="c-placeholder-boap"></div></div><div class="c-exp-bottomBanner b-exp-fixed"></div></span></main><div class="footer-wrapper"><div class="c-backToTop"><div><svg width="21" height="21" viewBox="0 0 21 21" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><rect x="0.0654297" y="0.96875" width="20" height="20" rx="10" fill="white"></rect><path d="M14.9697 13.4209L10.0654 8.5166L5.16113 13.4209" stroke="#282828" stroke-width="2.08" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round"></path></svg></div></div><footer class="c-footer b-clear-both"><template></template><div class="c-loadingSpinner"></div></footer></div><button id="ot-sdk-btn" class="ot-sdk-show-settings" style="display:none">Cookie Settings</button></div><script id="fusion-metadata" type="application/javascript">window.Fusion=window.Fusion||{};Fusion.arcSite="ajc";Fusion.contextPath="/pf";Fusion.deployment="1836";Fusion.globalContent={"_id":"4E2ABDL5BVFWNMBTMGPW5Q6JAU","canonical_url":"/opinion/columnists/opinion-will-climate-change-chase-coastal-residents-to-metro-atlanta/4E2ABDL5BVFWNMBTMGPW5Q6JAU/","content_elements":[{"_id":"MGHCIEML2JEQDCJ7DBGXJYYRWI","additional_properties":{"_id":1729165605255,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"When I moved to Atlanta in February 2006, some of the first people I met in the city were recent transplants from Louisiana.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RCR4EQ6Y6VH43G72HOXQBFOWYE","additional_properties":{"_id":1729165605256,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"I have a deep affection for Louisiana, where I spent childhood summers visiting my maternal grandparents, so I viewed those encounters as connections to my past. Some of those people have moved on, but the ones who stayed in Atlanta were a harbinger of America’s next great migration.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OVVPDRUPPRGL7PLUUI7QPPILKM","additional_properties":{"_id":1729165605258,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"Six months earlier, Hurricane Katrina had swept through the bayou, decimating New Orleans and the coastlines and sending displaced residents to other places, including Atlanta.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MSHU4MZRHZHTTBVR4IIWGT5XPA","additional_properties":{"_id":1729165605259,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[{"comment":"Most of them were living in Texas but a fair number (3.4% of previous New Orleans residents) had settled in Atlanta, according to a 2014 study published in Demography.","pos":372}]},"content":"One year later, almost half the adults from the New Orleans metro area had not returned home. Most of them were living in Texas but a fair number (3.4% of previous New Orleans residents) had settled in Georgia, according to a <a href=\"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4048822/\" target=\"_blank\">2014 study published in the population research journal “Demography.”</a> The majority of those who came to Georgia came to metro Atlanta and stayed. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"KXMBLF7Y5VDPRMSIGGZDZ6DEEU","additional_properties":{"_id":1729165605260,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"This marked a significant moment in a movement that demographer and sociologist, Mathew Hauer, has predicted will eventually include 350,000 to 550,000 climate migrants coming to metro Atlanta as sea levels continue to rise in coastal cities.","type":"text"},{"_id":"NTIXGE2IRNASVDMKUR35PPB6NY","additional_properties":{"_id":1729165605261,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"Extreme weather events such as hurricanes, wildfires, drought, coastal flooding and heat waves are changing how we live and many of us are unaware of or are in denial about what lies ahead.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DR3YMFPZLVA5LDQYE6YEUG3AWI","additional_properties":{"_id":1729172800947,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"In this critical moment, with Georgia residents still reeling from the impact of Hurricane Helene and the state hosting Florida evacuees from Hurricane Milton, state and local leaders should feel compelled to jump-start the glacial pace at which we are addressing the challenges brought on by climate change.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DVGOGLKS7NFQJLGKGCGCDCFUYM","additional_properties":{"_id":"BHQZYF7GLZBQVBT4M6YEAVSO4I","comments":[]},"content":"Parts of Georgia’s coast are sinking. See where the problem is worst","type":"interstitial_link","url":"https://www.ajc.com/news/business/parts-of-georgias-coast-are-sinking-see-where-the-problem-is-worst/F6WBI4DFBJD7BFHIZNZO2KEADA/"},{"_id":"55FI7CY33VGLNOYUGE534M3KE4","additional_properties":{"_id":1729165605264,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"Hauer spent almost a decade directing the Applied Demography Program at the University of Georgia and his research is cited in <a href=\"https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374171735/onthemove\" target=\"_blank\">“On the Move” by Abrahm Lustgarten</a>, a detailed examination of how extreme weather will force many Americans to leave the cities they call home.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VSHJ34ODXJAQPC37KKEZEMATKY","additional_properties":{"_id":1729165605265,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"Lustgarten has relied on Jairo Garcia, Atlanta’s former director of climate policy, to walk him through the city’s climate change efforts, beginning in 2017 when Garcia viewed Hauer’s research and realized the city would serve as a refuge for the entire southeastern region.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YQM3QXGUCBF7HASCI4JZNB7LN4","additional_properties":{"_id":1729165605266,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"“Atlanta was not prepared then,” Garcia said, “And it is not prepared now to receive this number of climate immigrants.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"RKW2IX7GKNHDFGDS5LWWZ5GF5I","additional_properties":{"_id":1729165605267,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"There has always been climate migration, but never quite at the pace or scale that we are likely to see in the coming decades. Even 10 years ago, the resettlement of people due to extreme weather had little precedent in America. Before Hurricane Katrina, there was Hurricane Andrew in 1992, which permanently displaced about 40,000 residents of Dade County, Florida. Most of them moved to the neighboring county.","type":"text"},{"_id":"LTG5EAULHZG3NJCVZD2JEXF6GE","additional_properties":{"_id":1729165605269,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"But the South and the Southeast are home to the most climate-vulnerable counties, according to the <a href=\"https://climatevulnerabilityindex.org/\" target=\"_blank\">U.S. Climate Vulnerability Index</a>. So moving to the next county or even to the next state is increasingly like trading one extreme weather event for one that feels less extreme — hurricanes for heat waves, storm surges for flash floods, large wildfires for smaller wildfires.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RCCOLGVJKRBP5PMCYQFQSCGALI","additional_properties":{"_id":1729165605270,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"Atlanta recently became the sixth largest metro in the U.S. even without the anticipated climate migration, bringing added pressure to our ongoing infrastructure challenges — including inadequate water supply, troubled stormwater drainage, lack of affordable housing, underfunded and underperforming public transportation, and horrible traffic.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IVDMXHXMONG37PYFP556SXKLIU","additional_properties":{"_id":"FRKCVEO7UFGS7JAARP7CZHB3QM","comments":[]},"content":"Winter is coming. Here’s what it could have in store for Georgia","type":"interstitial_link","url":"https://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-news/noaa-issues-forecast-for-winter-in-georgia-and-the-rest-of-the-us/TY2244XHUBH4JL44HO5BJE2PDQ/"},{"_id":"6QIYAYJCHVCAPNO2WNEFCB4WVU","additional_properties":{"_id":1729165605271,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"Solutions to these issues are delayed by bureaucracy and budgets but these are things that must change quickly to accommodate an influx of people, and as Lustgarten notes we will only see improvements in the places where political will and adequate funding intersect.","type":"text"},{"_id":"D5VH7UL6MBBNDBXO7E6TADGYY4","additional_properties":{"_id":1729172800955,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"At the state level, leaders haven’t prioritized climate action and have often stymied efforts to address climate change. In Atlanta, city leaders have too often opted for climate solutions that favor economic growth and are supported by business leaders and real estate developers rather than protecting people living in the most vulnerable neighborhoods.","type":"text"},{"_id":"P6TLJB7DCJF47NSQXQXKPHZQHI","additional_properties":{"_id":1729172800956,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"Local climate activists say the term resilience, which most every state and municipality has used to indicate some form of climate strategy, is increasingly meaningless, a catchall for scattered plans that likely do not include a road map for managing rapid in-migration.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5HRHSWKQRFAGTMUOXXF5VDWAGU","additional_properties":{"_id":1729165605273,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[{"comment":" in the nation","pos":322}]},"content":"On Monday, the Atlanta Regional Commission <a href=\"https://33n.atlantaregional.com/monday-mapday/welcome-to-atlanta\" target=\"_blank\">released data </a>showing the top 10 previous states of residence for in-migration to the 21-county Atlanta region. Florida, California and Texas claimed the top three spots. These are the most populous states in the nation, but they are also among the most climate-vulnerable states.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AR45J2JFONFOPFTYZ66BIGRWEY","additional_properties":{"_id":1729172800958,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[{"comment":"currently ","pos":29}]},"content":"The northern half of Georgia sits in what Lustgarten called the heart of the sweet spot, the ideal livable climate for humans. Over the next 50 years, as the planet continues to warm, scientists predict ideal living conditions will inch northward.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OJJZCRX4CRFMBOGM45UNZE2Q3M","additional_properties":{"_id":1729165605274,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"Now is the time to ask if we have the political will at every level to plan for the possibility of a metro area forever changed by climate migration? 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Bar"},"last_updated_date":"2024-10-23T13:30:25.510Z","type":"collection","canonical_website":"ajc","content_elements":[],"websites":{"ajc":{}},"description":{"basic":"When a published article is added to this collection, an Investigations bar (labeled \"Exclusive\") will display sitewide that links to the story until the content expiration time defined for the collection."},"content_aliases":[],"owner":{"id":"ajc"},"revision":{"branch":"default","published":true},"canonical_url":null,"publishing":{"scheduled_operations":{"publish_edition":[],"unpublish_edition":[]}},"website":"ajc"},"expires":1732572272227,"lastModified":1732572152194}},"search-api":{"{\"published\":true,\"section\":\"opinion/columnists\",\"size\":30,\"sort\":true}":{"data":{"type":"results","version":"0.6.0","content_elements":[{"content_elements":[{"_id":"PK6TFEMU4NCOZFOBYUWVBDLR7Y","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732115699272},"type":"text","content":"In the end, the state Supreme Court this week afforded Christian Coomer, a disgraced former Appeals Court Judge, some leniency even after it was almost certainly clear that he schemed to hoodwink an elderly client."},{"_id":"YYJDFE6H3BE77L2I5PJFOFVZ6E","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732198906087},"type":"text","content":"In the months before he was appointed a judge in 2018, Coomer had a client loan him vast amounts of money ($370,000 in total), including a favorable unsecured loan to be paid off <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/news/crime--law/state-appeals-court-judge-denies-allegations-fraud-malpractice/1CsaShCppO0DAr6aWbZ8xH/\" target=\"_blank\">when the client was 106 years old.</a> If the old fellow up and died before the century mark, no problem —<i> C</i>oomer drew up a will designating himself as executive, trustee and beneficiary."},{"_id":"ALXEV5QAHRH25M7B4QHC27IX5I","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732220018851},"type":"text","content":"After he became a judge, Coomer removed himself from those roles and inserted his wife into them."},{"_id":"QTA6HZND7JC45JDMHPH7LH4NWU","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"_id":"52ETF2CRFBANFNGIOXLIEZDEIE"},"type":"interstitial_link","content":"Ousted Georgia judge suspended from practicing law","url":"https://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta-news/ousted-georgia-judge-suspended-from-practicing-law/SHF2Z2GTR5CVZGT5EVIAFNYO6M/"},{"_id":"EVSJIE2T6FGMHOZQRMNBH7OKKA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732198906088},"type":"text","content":"Coomer had been under investigation since 2020 and, after lots of legal kvetching, the Supreme Court last year — <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/opinion/columnists/opinion-shady-dealings-ga-supreme-court-says-a-judges-past-is-his-past/RCBU4UG74RB6TENDRRTUYBH7MQ/\" target=\"_blank\">after its own foot dragging</a> — removed <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-news/georgia-supreme-court-appeals-judge-coomer-should-be-removed-from-office/MLVABTMD2FABHG5VMCLJJFVJ5U/\" target=\"_blank\">him from the bench.</a>"},{"_id":"JU62RGSQKBHO7EJTW34TZ6TEJA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732198906089},"type":"text","content":"But the Supremes, who are known to be a tough bunch, were merciful in Coomer’s case, now that he’s been defrocked. The high court <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta-news/ousted-georgia-judge-suspended-from-practicing-law/SHF2Z2GTR5CVZGT5EVIAFNYO6M/\" target=\"_blank\">voted unanimously not to disbar him</a> and, in essence, suspended his law license for nine months.*"},{"_id":"IF2PXERVJNEFROPNIVKOQWR5YU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732216767131},"type":"text","content":"*He is suspended only until next August. He got a two-year <i>nunc pro tunc </i>sentence. That’s Latin, meaning he got 15 months of “time-served” credit for not practicing law since being removed from the bench in August of 2023. I must point out that suspended-Judge Coomer was paid to sit at home between late 2020 and August 2023, a period prolonged by his denials and legal battles in a failed effort to save his robed status. He “earned” more than $460,000 during this time. <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-news/georgia-supreme-court-appeals-judge-coomer-should-be-removed-from-office/MLVABTMD2FABHG5VMCLJJFVJ5U/\" target=\"_blank\">Actually $600,000 with benefits. </a>Also, the state had to pay fill-in judges to replace him."},{"owner":{"id":"ajc"},"copyright":"Atlanta Journal-Constitution","address":{},"auth":{"1":"1d73e4f02af656a8eb7d579ff2e58d39e83530e79d6a58bbbebc58459d72f8af"},"caption":"(Left to right) Judicial Qualifications Commission panel Dax Lopez, Judge Robert McBurney and Jack Winter listen to opening remarks from JQC director Chuck Boring on day one Court of Appeals Judge Christian Coomer’s trial on Monday, October 17, 2022. (Natrice Miller/natrice.miller@ajc.com) \r\r\r","source":{"system":"AJC Freelancer","name":"AJC Freelancer","edit_url":"","source_type":"wires","source_id":"s3://ajc-arc-photo-integration/Freelancer/101722 CHRISTIAN COOMER TRIAL DAY ONE004.JPG","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"}},"taxonomy":{"associated_tasks":["63471a63dc5cb52d903c5fa1"],"seo_keywords":["AJC Freelancer"]},"type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"custom","name":"AJC Freelancer","category":"wires"},"version":"0.10.9","url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/5UCB3M4GFNTMIRVJH5S7ISPCZQ.JPG","licensable":false,"credits":{"affiliation":[{"name":"Natrice Miller / Natrice.Miller@ajc.com","type":"author"}],"by":[{"name":"Natrice Miller/ Natrice.Miller@ajc.com","type":"author"}]},"subtype":"Wires","subtitle":"COOMER OPENINGS","width":6000,"_id":"5UCB3M4GFNTMIRVJH5S7ISPCZQ","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/H3RdvEH5lOU9Dp5mlrowN9Cex14=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/5UCB3M4GFNTMIRVJH5S7ISPCZQ.JPG","iptc_source":"Atlanta Journal-Constitution","comments":[],"iptc_job_identifier":"63471a63dc5cb52d903c5fa1","keywords":["christian coomer","crime","trial","AJC Freelancer","Atlanta"],"proxyUrl":"/resizer/H3RdvEH5lOU9Dp5mlrowN9Cex14=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/5UCB3M4GFNTMIRVJH5S7ISPCZQ.JPG","takenOn":"2022-10-16T14:11:13Z","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/5UCB3M4GFNTMIRVJH5S7ISPCZQ.JPG","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/H3RdvEH5lOU9Dp5mlrowN9Cex14=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/5UCB3M4GFNTMIRVJH5S7ISPCZQ.JPG","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/4XMulbt3ierjvsn5LXVBUukQqk0=/300x0/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/5UCB3M4GFNTMIRVJH5S7ISPCZQ.JPG","version":2,"originalName":"s3://ajc-arc-photo-integration/Freelancer/101722 CHRISTIAN COOMER TRIAL DAY ONE004.JPG","mime_type":"image/jpeg","restricted":false,"galleries":[],"_id":"YATPFWM2UNFE7CENU3GCZV5IEQ","iptc_title":"Multimedia Journalist"},"created_date":"2022-10-17T14:25:56Z","last_updated_date":"2022-10-21T18:37:43Z","slug":"AAJC 101822 COOMER OPENINGS","height":4000},{"_id":"VZC2FO2Q3VGKNMB3TWEOIO66LU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732198906090},"type":"text","content":"The Supreme Court’s leniency last week seems outrageous, but not unexpected."},{"_id":"T5RAGFMRVNGYFBHRVO6WYOZE3Q","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732198906091},"type":"text","content":"Simply put, the Supreme Court’s legal basis was<i> homo habet manducare</i> — “a man’s gotta eat.”"},{"_id":"446WD5EQLVFUVILFBSCZRNYE3A","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732198906092},"type":"text","content":"The justices figured that Coomer, at age 50, is still a youngish fellow and they seemingly thought it distasteful that a former judge just one rung from their status would have to reinvent himself as a real estate agent or Uber driver."},{"_id":"SHQVZ6WVZNGJTEARGDFGXMO3JQ","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"_id":"AVUNPYYARJGXDKW2SAZDP6C27U"},"type":"interstitial_link","content":"Georgia Supreme Court removes appeals judge from office","url":"https://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-news/georgia-supreme-court-appeals-judge-coomer-should-be-removed-from-office/MLVABTMD2FABHG5VMCLJJFVJ5U/"},{"_id":"TBIFYPI3UVHMFORPUXP5ZMWAFA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732198906093},"type":"text","content":"Besides, Coomer, who was the Republican Majority Whip in the state House when he was appointed judge, apparently still has clout. Several of his former legislative colleagues peppered the court with letters telling the justices what a swell guy he is at heart."},{"_id":"3JVCPGBMENBHJB2E2UV2LOAE6M","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732216767136},"type":"text","content":"Anne Emanuel, the former associate dean of Georgia State University’s law school, expressed a common opinion I kept hearing this week concerning the case."},{"_id":"XJLSVKCY4RCXJI47E66VPZ6KD4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732216767137},"type":"text","content":"“Given the serious nature of his repeated conduct, he got the friends-and-family treatment both from the State Bar and the Supreme Court,” she said."},{"_id":"SKT5YSJDDNBJ3OT7OMAORQTV3U","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732216767138},"type":"text","content":"The Supreme Court was well aware of Coomer’s actions, having considered the case twice before his ouster as a judge."},{"_id":"Q36ZENAXFNEIPKPTKLVRYOLLPU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732216767139},"type":"text","content":"This time, the court was considering him merely as a lawyer. A State Bar special master had heard his case and determined his law license should be suspended for two years."},{"_id":"5BNVVFSCDVBQHKSLSCAFPZ3H3M","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732216767140},"type":"text","content":"In its decision, the Supreme Court noted the Bar investigation found that:"},{"_id":"2BVCIAFASZFVXFGJM22MEC2PDA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732216767141},"type":"text","content":"— Coomer “acted with a dishonest and selfish motive.”"},{"_id":"3WGKWQ5G25DJDGNWHQ7MR3QMUU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732216767142},"type":"text","content":"— His actions were “intentional acts by a lawyer with substantial experience.”"},{"_id":"N53NZK53SZB2VC5QGICOFSEPPM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732216767143},"type":"text","content":"— The elderly man, who was lonesome and depressed, “was a vulnerable victim.”"},{"_id":"D3HOMIRVHJGY5FFZS6UDA7AJV4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732216767144},"type":"text","content":"— It was “abundantly clear” Coomer “preyed upon his trust and took advantage” of his client."},{"_id":"UTFLQF2YTZCFFGBIZEYHWBXH6A","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732220018869},"type":"text","content":"But."},{"_id":"BNK44ICVEFH67BBE2LGBPJT3YY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732216767146},"type":"text","content":"The Supreme Court found in mitigation that Coomer:"},{"_id":"F5JWKT74ZJFAZMI5KZIKD2JRWY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732216767147},"type":"text","content":"— Had no prior disciplinary actions."},{"_id":"5CKST556W5G6LI6YG5WWOABJKY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732216767148},"type":"text","content":"— “Expressed genuine remorse.”"},{"_id":"SNMITGYP4NF33NGPTECPMKK5EQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732216767149},"type":"text","content":"— “Is otherwise a person of good character and reputation.”"},{"_id":"XSIJRUBBWBA2JNSB27MXHQ7VG4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732216767150},"type":"text","content":"— “Had taken to atone for his mistakes.”"},{"_id":"CJWAJIUTKZDTPOBBKO5JTTISE4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732216767151},"type":"text","content":"Let me pause here to quibble on words. There is really a difference between “mistakes” and “intentional acts.”"},{"owner":{"id":"ajc"},"copyright":"Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.","address":{"locality":"Atlanta","country_name":"USA","region":"GA"},"auth":{"1":"69a278bf993e194350ece5ad94ffcadb3f6f127dc4f24a03c64d6765e1ff0583"},"caption":"FILE - State Rep. Christian Coomer, R-Cartersville, left, answers a question from Rep. Al Williams, D-Midway, during a legislation debate on the House floor, March 25, 2015, in Atlanta. 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Several more."},{"_id":"6NSUHOV5H5CL7BNZKS2EBJL4QY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732216767157},"type":"text","content":"I’ve covered decades of trials and after nearly every case the defendant stands before the judge, hair combed, head lowered and wearing librarian’s glasses. “That’s not me,” they say."},{"_id":"WPOBBL2ASVHKTLN3T5M2ZCDWVU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732220018883},"type":"text","content":"Or, “That was the only time I waved a gun at a bank teller.”"},{"_id":"TC5EGGXARJDSZE4U22DLB74LOU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732216767159},"type":"text","content":"The Supreme Court noted some folks might think they were giving Coomer a cakey deal. But, they added, they shouldn’t treat him more harshly than any other lawyer done wrong."},{"_id":"5CN4C5RF2NCETC7EGU26KIMUHE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732216767160},"type":"text","content":"I’ve talked with several attorneys, former Gov. Roy Barnes and former judicial watchdog Lester Tate to name a couple, and they say they’ve represented lawyers who did less and were punished more."},{"_id":"2P2TSPMU3JBSFL5IM4TLBAEP2I","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732216767161},"type":"text","content":"I called Wright Gammon, the attorney for the old fellow taken advantage by Coomer. He’s the guy who filed suit and brought all this nastiness to light."},{"_id":"I4TIGHJS7ZAIVAPYLKVHXUOLVY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732216767162},"type":"text","content":"“It took a couple years for him to become contrite,” Gammon told me. “It took him several trips around the water trough before he took a drink.”"}],"display_date":"2024-11-22T10:00:00Z","credits":{"by":[{"image":{"version":"0.5.8","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/e7ef0c5b-c33a-4581-8b37-6cbb7dcb343c.png"},"socialLinks":[{"site":"email","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"btorpy@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"https://twitter.com/billtorpy"}],"social_links":[{"site":"email","url":"btorpy@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","url":"https://twitter.com/billtorpy"}],"name":"Bill Torpy","description":"Bill Torpy, who writes about metro Atlanta for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, joined the newspaper in 1990.","_id":"bill-torpy","additional_properties":{"original":{"lastName":"Torpy","image":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/e7ef0c5b-c33a-4581-8b37-6cbb7dcb343c.png","role":"Columnist","education":[],"longBio":"Bill Torpy, who writes about metro Atlanta for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, joined the newspaper in 1990. He writes the metro column and has covered politics, government and countless stories about police, courts, the justice system and humanity in general. The Chicago native graduated from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Ill., and previously worked for the Daily Southtown in Chicago","org":"ajc","affiliations":"The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","bio":"Bill Torpy, who writes about metro Atlanta for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, joined the newspaper in 1990.","author_type":"Staff","type":"author","expertise":"7.16,10","firstName":"Bill","twitter":"https://twitter.com/billtorpy","books":[],"podcasts":[],"awards":[],"beat":"Metro columnist","custom_ajc_website":"ajc","_id":"bill-torpy","last_updated_date":"2023-06-12T22:45:24.641Z","bio_page":"/staff/bill-torpy/","byline":"Bill Torpy","email":"btorpy@ajc.com","status":true}},"type":"author","version":"0.5.8","url":"/staff/bill-torpy/"}]},"subtype":"Article","headlines":{"basic":"TORPY: Supreme Court lets hinky ex-judge off the hook"},"first_publish_date":"2024-11-22T10:00:04.942Z","taxonomy":{"primary_site":{"path":"/opinion/columnists","parent_id":"/opinion","name":"AJC Columnists","description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","_id":"/opinion/columnists","additional_properties":{"original":{"parent":{"AmpNav":"/opinion","default":"/opinion","MainMenu2024":"/opinion","BottomNav":null,"TopNavRedesign":null,"SectionMap":"/","MainMenuRedesign2021":null,"TopNav":null,"ComposerNav":"/opinion"},"site":{"section_comments_enabled":"Yes","site_description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","site_title":"AJC Columnists"},"navigation":{"nav_title":"AJC Columnists"},"inactive":false,"node_type":"section","name":"AJC Columnists","_id":"/opinion/columnists","ancestors":{"MainMenu2024":["/","/opinion"],"TopNavRedesign":[],"SectionMap":["/"],"MainMenuRedesign2021":[],"TopNav":[],"ComposerNav":["/opinion"]},"order":{"MainMenu2024":2002,"SectionMap":1073,"ComposerNav":2003}}},"type":"site","version":"0.5.8"},"sections":[{"path":"/opinion/columnists","parent":{"default":"/opinion"},"_website":"ajc","parent_id":"/opinion","name":"AJC Columnists","description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","_id":"/opinion/columnists","additional_properties":{"original":{"parent":{"AmpNav":"/opinion","default":"/opinion","MainMenu2024":"/opinion","BottomNav":null,"TopNavRedesign":null,"SectionMap":"/","MainMenuRedesign2021":null,"TopNav":null,"ComposerNav":"/opinion"},"site":{"section_comments_enabled":"Yes","site_description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","site_title":"AJC Columnists"},"navigation":{"nav_title":"AJC Columnists"},"inactive":false,"node_type":"section","_website":"ajc","name":"AJC Columnists","_id":"/opinion/columnists","ancestors":{"MainMenu2024":["/","/opinion"],"TopNavRedesign":[],"SectionMap":["/"],"MainMenuRedesign2021":[],"TopNav":[],"ComposerNav":["/opinion"]},"order":{"MainMenu2024":2002,"SectionMap":1073,"ComposerNav":2003}}},"_website_section_id":"ajc./opinion/columnists","type":"section","version":"0.6.0"}],"primary_section":{"path":"/opinion/columnists","name":"AJC Columnists"},"tags":[{"text":"torpy at large"},{"text":"atlanta-news-metro.ajc"},{"text":"torpy-rss"},{"text":"teamdan"},{"text":"localnews.ajc"},{"text":"local government"}]},"label":{"custom_label":{"display":true,"text":"ONLY ON AJC: TORPY AT LARGE"}},"type":"story","last_updated_date":"2024-11-22T10:00:04.942Z","promo_items":{"basic":{"credits":{"affiliation":[{"name":"Natrice Miller / Natrice.Miller@ajc.com","type":"author"}],"by":[{"name":"Natrice Miller/ Natrice.Miller@ajc.com","type":"author"}]},"subtitle":"COOMER OPENINGS","width":6000,"caption":"Court of Appeals Judge Christian Coomer takes the stand on day one of his trial for alleged ethic violations at Cobb County Superior Court on Monday, October 17, 2022. (Natrice Miller/natrice.miller@ajc.com) \r\r\r","type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"custom","name":"AJC Freelancer","category":"wires"},"url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/KOMF2AZAQZOJCA7JVQMNIRFOEM.JPG","height":4000}},"canonical_url":"/opinion/columnists/torpy-supreme-court-lets-hinky-ex-judge-off-the-hook/R7BPXGWXJ5BIXNX3NKKUNSBY2E/","_id":"R7BPXGWXJ5BIXNX3NKKUNSBY2E"},{"content_elements":[{"_id":"PK6TFEMU4NCOZFOBYUWVBDLR7Y","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732037635798},"type":"text","content":"My friend Jay and I were restless one Memorial Day long ago and decided to strike out on an adventure."},{"_id":"UUPAWI4BAZCKXOM4JG5HFUHJ6Y","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732054966159},"type":"text","content":"From our South Side Chicago neighborhood, we set out for the boonies, AKA, the ‘burbs. We didn’t know much about them, other than they were somewhere O<i>ut There</i>. Perhaps there were forests. Or ponds."},{"_id":"IR5H7UP64ZBJ3FDLEDDFKGWY4Y","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732054966160},"type":"text","content":"We got on our bikes (mine was a Schwinn Stingray) and headed south and west."},{"_id":"GKMNRBKSYZHOPMUOKNAGBY4JIE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732054966161},"type":"text","content":"Chicago, built on a prairie, has a grid street system. Every mile is a busy street. We passed 103rd Street, then 111th (each eight blocks is a mile) and made it to 159th. We also headed west under an interstate, passed shopping districts and industrial parks and ended up 14 miles from home."},{"_id":"R65NTSDACRFM7EVLFLCLLZZPH4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732054966162},"type":"text","content":"By afternoon, we decided to head back or we’d be late for dinner. We drank some Cokes (paid for by paper route money) and pedaled home on achy legs."},{"_id":"NIM52ZMXPBFYTKB4JCKL47NQAI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732054966163},"type":"text","content":"We were 10 years old, on the verge of 11."},{"_id":"EAOMQ5KVNZADZMAGHXUTVCYRXM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732054966164},"type":"text","content":"We didn’t ask permission. Our parents had no idea where we were. We were just out for the day, a normal circumstance. I’m sure I later told them of our proud accomplishment. I don’t remember being chastised for it."},{"_id":"XZAMMKCPDNGPTJ3JADODSEP3OE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732054966165},"type":"text","content":"I thought of that recently <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta-news/her-son-walked-less-than-a-mile-from-home-she-was-arrested-hours-later/GTBT7743WFD3LBPTDDDQOEIG3M/\" target=\"_blank\">after seeing stories about Brittany Patterson</a>, a North Georgia mom who was handcuffed at home in front of her kids and taken to jail. Her crime? Her son, Soren, unbeknownst to her, had the <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/opinion/opinion-it-should-not-be-a-crime-to-lose-track-of-your-kids/6OJ2PWYL7VELXB2OMDF2JI6CRE/\" target=\"_blank\">temerity to set off on his own</a> to the store, a distance of one mile down a country road."},{"_id":"DZBNVHYMNBDZ3LXUBPCPBG2ANQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732056537889},"type":"text","content":"Soren is 10 years old, on the verge of 11."},{"_id":"U2RNF7UPIRE45HXG4IG2LRKTKE","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"_id":"TXFUHQ2ETNHZ7K733CGGMK2TEM"},"type":"interstitial_link","content":"Her son walked less than a mile from home. She was arrested hours later","url":"https://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta-news/her-son-walked-less-than-a-mile-from-home-she-was-arrested-hours-later/GTBT7743WFD3LBPTDDDQOEIG3M/"},{"_id":"IC2VXV724BCYXDIXMKYXB5XLU4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732054966167},"type":"text","content":"I’ve written several columns over the years about helicopter parents,<a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/news/local/bubble-wrapped-kids-search-safe-space/vJoQWBHyClgkSVeNdOyYTJ/\" target=\"_blank\"> bubble-wrapped kids </a>and a fear-obsessed society."},{"owner":{"sponsored":false,"id":"ajc"},"address":{},"syndication":{},"auth":{"1":"dd7539de4470a2613460556ad408755b2873fbadcbe6f1732bd0f7967abdef49"},"caption":"Brittany Patterson (left) was arrested after a sheriff's deputy picked up her son, Soren, who had walked less than a mile from home into their town, Mineral Bluff, Georgia. Provided","source":{"system":"photo center","name":"AJC","edit_url":"","source_type":"staff","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"}},"taxonomy":{"associated_tasks":[]},"type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"8aec2b8c-455c-4816-903d-79fc8fdf8019"},"version":"0.10.9","url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/W2KNB4LC4RCCHGTM5JXEDPIO54.jpeg","geo":{},"licensable":false,"credits":{"affiliation":[{"name":"Courtesy photo","type":"author"}],"by":[{"name":"Contributed","type":"author","byline":"Contributed"}]},"subtitle":"Brittany Patterson and son","width":1305,"_id":"W2KNB4LC4RCCHGTM5JXEDPIO54","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/e0-1uXE1rkDtobkDRUU-vskQ-TU=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/W2KNB4LC4RCCHGTM5JXEDPIO54.jpeg","owner":"taylor.croft@ajc.com","comments":[],"keywords":[],"proxyUrl":"/resizer/e0-1uXE1rkDtobkDRUU-vskQ-TU=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/W2KNB4LC4RCCHGTM5JXEDPIO54.jpeg","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/W2KNB4LC4RCCHGTM5JXEDPIO54.jpeg","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/e0-1uXE1rkDtobkDRUU-vskQ-TU=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/W2KNB4LC4RCCHGTM5JXEDPIO54.jpeg","ingestionMethod":"manual","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/wio_d_-QB-sCxf2TrcEh_UNOOAM=/300x0/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/W2KNB4LC4RCCHGTM5JXEDPIO54.jpeg","version":1,"originalName":"Brittany Patterson.jpeg","mime_type":"image/jpeg","restricted":false,"template_id":594,"galleries":[],"_id":"KIN3PEUJDFHFTMD3WCJIIXMD3Q"},"created_date":"2024-11-13T17:04:13Z","last_updated_date":"2024-11-13T22:42:00Z","height":1013,"image_type":"photograph"},{"_id":"3IGZGBPEVRFT3HE5ODIYZLXSP4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732054966168},"type":"text","content":"Such is life today, where worry <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/news/local/torpy-large-stranger-danger-always-lurking-only-media-shadows/5271qouHFXuLHe8vwBYB8M/\" target=\"_blank\">about Stranger Danger</a>, missing children and all sorts of other primordial fears has been collectivized by parents and is now, apparently, enforced by the nanny state."},{"_id":"BJ4EJ7H2SBEVRFKXCTONFKBKGM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732054966169},"type":"text","content":"A woman named Lenore Skenazy, who heads <a href=\"http://letgrow.org/\" target=\"_blank\">LetGrow.org</a> and founded the Free-Range Kids movement, once told me that alarmism has become society’s initial impulse in child raising."},{"_id":"2LRV4CLEE5HMVNDJGJ2MFSHGMU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732054966170},"type":"text","content":"<a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/news/local/torpy-large-black-man-white-kids-and-our-arrested-development/GR0Tb7KE9aIS7qbrjba4jP/\" target=\"_blank\">“It’s worst-first thinking,”</a> she said. “You think of the worst possible thing (that might happen) from the outset.”"},{"_id":"RBJIEW5UYREOHJNBDSO4UR6GYU","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"_id":"EUE2LKXOE5FAJARTN6UUCYPKLY"},"type":"interstitial_link","content":"Readers respond to free-roaming kids","url":"https://www.ajc.com/opinion/opinion-readers-respond-to-free-roaming-kids/L6TMNOVD4BBHTA6YLEOXUB3DAQ/"},{"_id":"BF5WEIQDCJAIJDMH5WFXX3H6F4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732054966171},"type":"text","content":"I spoke with Peter Gray, a Boston College psychology professor who last year co-authored a study which found that a decline in <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/news/local/torpy-large-snowballs-and-mischief-kind-wintry-mix/SuE8X0vweUCvXdkcHiENpI/\" target=\"_blank\">independent play in children </a>is causing them <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/opinion/columnists/opinion-all-work-and-no-play-makes-jack-an-anxious-kid/QE7UXDW35NBMNABOTFWCO57QQE/\" target=\"_blank\">problems with anxiety. </a>That’s because they are unable to build confidence on their own."},{"_id":"YY6QHLMKLNFP7HLPCBINZHYEOY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732054966172},"type":"text","content":"“We’ve reached a moral position that it’s immoral to have a child do anything outside without an adult present,” Gray said. But it should be “up to the parents, not the state, to decide if something is dangerous, or not dangerous, for their child.”"},{"_id":"BJ4EJ7H2SBEVRFKXCTONFKBKGM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732054966173},"type":"text","content":"The Pattersons live on a 16-acre tract up a hill that includes a forest and a flock of chickens."},{"_id":"YMTIH5BDWJEUFFVFPHOREAECVI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732054966174},"type":"text","content":"Brittany Patterson picked up one of the birds and noted wryly to me that there’s a “herd mentality” surrounding how children should be raised."},{"_id":"2D2MGEDJYVEEZP7MXEA3PU3ZP4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732054966175},"type":"text","content":"Now, one’s initial hunch might be that Mama Patterson was nabbed by some well-meaning, liberal-leaning, safe-space craving bureaucrat."},{"_id":"TRPNWDURV5DTBAS3GCNA3T4AKQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732054966176},"type":"text","content":"No, she was hauled off by two deputies from the Fannin County Sheriff’s department, a North Georgia mountain county that went 82% for Donald J. Trump."},{"_id":"G23ZO43NNRG6HOJRQLRRPSQAI4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732054966177},"type":"text","content":"I remember talking with former Gov. Zell Miller about his hardscrabble upbringing in nearby Young Harris. It was a land of rugged individuals, a place where his widowed<a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/news/state--regional-govt--politics/the-town-that-was-everything-life-zell-miller-says-goodbye/oP8PNjlrf7JGJxcnZf58EO/\" target=\"_blank\"> Mama hauled hundreds of rocks </a>up from the river to build a home."},{"_id":"POKHFO6ZEFDSFL6QYYWPJUMLJU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732054966178},"type":"text","content":"I don’t recall her getting dragged off by the law because ‘Lil Zell wandered off to some hollow."},{"_id":"MWW53FTGTBFQDA66SZV4MD2WPU","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"_id":"YEZWQBCMGNCEJF65I333QACBHA"},"type":"interstitial_link","content":"Bubble-wrapped kids in search of a ‘safe space’","url":"https://www.ajc.com/news/local/bubble-wrapped-kids-search-safe-space/vJoQWBHyClgkSVeNdOyYTJ/"},{"owner":{"sponsored":false,"id":"ajc"},"address":{},"syndication":{},"auth":{"1":"ad90f55193286cc8a158f545192708e618978d3caa377bafa3dab936e87163cb"},"caption":"Brittany Patterson with her son, Soren, outside their home near Blue Ridge. She was arrested at her home by Fannin County deputies after Soren, now 11, walked by himself to a store about a mile away.","source":{"system":"photo center","name":"AJC","edit_url":"","source_type":"staff","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"}},"taxonomy":{"associated_tasks":[]},"type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"8aec2b8c-455c-4816-903d-79fc8fdf8019"},"version":"0.10.9","url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/CXLW7KDPNBFS7LPK3MX757IYLQ.jpg","licensable":false,"credits":{"affiliation":[{"name":"Bill Torpy","type":"author"}],"by":[{"name":"Bill Torpy","type":"author","byline":"Bill Torpy"}]},"subtitle":"Brittany Patterson","width":4032,"creditIPTC":"Bill Torpy","_id":"CXLW7KDPNBFS7LPK3MX757IYLQ","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/Z3fMgW02xZPySoVrvwAykvFbuss=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/CXLW7KDPNBFS7LPK3MX757IYLQ.jpg","owner":"william.torpy@ajc.com","comments":[],"keywords":[],"proxyUrl":"/resizer/Z3fMgW02xZPySoVrvwAykvFbuss=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/CXLW7KDPNBFS7LPK3MX757IYLQ.jpg","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/CXLW7KDPNBFS7LPK3MX757IYLQ.jpg","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/Z3fMgW02xZPySoVrvwAykvFbuss=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/CXLW7KDPNBFS7LPK3MX757IYLQ.jpg","ingestionMethod":"manual","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/PaeIVCTwEfPT59nTKeSmo4UqSTE=/300x0/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/CXLW7KDPNBFS7LPK3MX757IYLQ.jpg","version":0,"originalName":"mom swing.jpg","mime_type":"image/jpeg","restricted":false,"template_id":594,"galleries":[],"_id":"22EMYVTSUVFPPDVH7W7GAJWL3A"},"created_date":"2024-11-19T22:26:21Z","last_updated_date":"2024-11-19T22:26:21Z","height":3024,"image_type":"photograph"},{"_id":"SUTBINT7SJGNPDP7Y7TRX2XOQQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732054966179},"type":"text","content":"Soren Patterson wandered off after his mom drove a sibling to the doctor. An hour later, a deputy called saying her son was in Mineral Bluff — a crossroads with a gas station, post office, flea market and Dollar General."},{"_id":"GSJJFITSVFGM5H5B6UYG5JRHKM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732054966180},"type":"text","content":"“Ms. Patterson seemed very unsurprised or concerned with this information,” the police report stated. It added that Soren “was visibly upset” by the interaction “and was unable to answer questions a child of his age should know.”"},{"_id":"A7ZSTYKZRVAVNO7CW5JSJORMAI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732054966181},"type":"text","content":"Ah, the markings of a crime."},{"_id":"NEYYOPKF6JEZHPKI7Z7WLHNC4I","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732054966182},"type":"text","content":"The deputies were called by a Good Samaritan (or busybody, your pick) who saw the slight lad walking to town and followed him, thinking he was younger than his almost 11 years."},{"_id":"UV2GJQLLQJBPFG5UFMZWGCDNJA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732054966183},"type":"text","content":"The woman pulled up and peppered the boy with questions. Finally, tired of her prying, he darted away. Soren told me he felt like he was “being stalked.”"},{"_id":"VWOLFR5NVNE6VHVDWCRQ5WMWNI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732054966184},"type":"text","content":"Deputies brought Soren home and left him with his grandfather. They returned hours later to slap Patterson in cuffs, charging her with reckless conduct, a misdemeanor."},{"_id":"K7WI3YHHVFBLPEBFSQ3SW7AYZY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732054966185},"type":"text","content":"“Last time I checked, it wasn’t illegal for a kid to walk to the store,” Patterson told the cops, according to a bodycam."},{"_id":"HQOWHLAUA5H2BGDQBT4224HG2A","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732054966186},"type":"text","content":"“It is when they’re 10 years old,” responded the lawwoman, before leading her away."},{"_id":"BE7WKQTXFBCG7GX6AHBTRIMIUU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732054966187},"type":"text","content":"The arrest warrant calls it a “gross deviation from the standard of care a reasonable person would exercise.”"},{"_id":"S36D5YOGENAPNEWGEGU2RPSNS4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732054966188},"type":"text","content":"Actually, that’s not true, says her lawyer David DeLugas, who heads up <a href=\"https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__parentsusa.org_&d=DwMFaQ&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=AhsXuq61LSf9ONOz2FqVCWNi_6wlXzjX7EkJk9i4a_M&m=uGEjrCTYW0kC3XPjlZTDSnHAlmwgqqqehpLIb1H6ER4yldng9J9kwNCirDnhMg67&s=1DHhL3QqSmE0g1NOy-dcq9GymTkkx9R7gbqUWGhjy5E&e=\">ParentsUSA,</a> an org that represents parents who get sideways with the law in cases like this."},{"_id":"UQBJ7GJJIFHPLBBPKZ2FESBUSY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732054966189},"type":"text","content":"Authorities have told Patterson they’d let her go with a DFACS “safety plan,” which includes Soren having a GPS tracking app on his phone. She has declined."},{"_id":"QDZINQES7VC2BK25ZBWTYNR2GI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732054966190},"type":"text","content":"In a phone call, the prosecutor on the case insisted to DeLugas that allowing the kid to walk on the road was dangerous."},{"_id":"5QELKFLAW5B7DI54AP72ANUNJY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732054966191},"type":"text","content":"But, DeLugas responded, “Just because it might not be something you would do or encourage or permit for your child doesn’t mean it becomes an unreasonable risk of significant harm [that would] subject any parent to second-guessing by others.”"},{"_id":"XHBJONXVQFCTLNESVCON3COCAA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732054966192},"type":"text","content":"Now, the nanny state is being second-guessed."},{"_id":"ZXS7IYJIGJF7JAOCJFFEW7FO5U","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"_id":"WO6PTHZ45BCL3NV6BDJDR7BO7A"},"type":"raw_html","content":"<script async src=\"https://modules.wearehearken.com/atlanta-journal-constitution/embed/12077.js\"><\/script>"}],"display_date":"2024-11-20T10:00:00Z","credits":{"by":[{"image":{"version":"0.5.8","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/e7ef0c5b-c33a-4581-8b37-6cbb7dcb343c.png"},"socialLinks":[{"site":"email","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"btorpy@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"https://twitter.com/billtorpy"}],"social_links":[{"site":"email","url":"btorpy@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","url":"https://twitter.com/billtorpy"}],"name":"Bill Torpy","description":"Bill Torpy, who writes about metro Atlanta for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, joined the newspaper in 1990.","_id":"bill-torpy","additional_properties":{"original":{"lastName":"Torpy","image":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/e7ef0c5b-c33a-4581-8b37-6cbb7dcb343c.png","role":"Columnist","education":[],"longBio":"Bill Torpy, who writes about metro Atlanta for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, joined the newspaper in 1990. 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Wade was overturned."},{"_id":"KASS4O2YE5ERNAXFQZJ6VVHYZI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732026443376},"type":"text","content":"When she voted in the midterm election, she joked to her mom: “Well, I can put my name on the ballot since I’m retired now.”"},{"_id":"3LZJ4DR7NVH3FFCHEJL47QTRYM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732026443377},"type":"text","content":"It wasn’t long before the joke became reality."},{"_id":"IOZJ4XJAKFHLHHHGAQHG52NPIM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732026443378},"type":"text","content":"White, 42, of Evans, ran as a Democrat in the race for State House District 131. She didn’t win but earned 35% of the vote in a reliably Republican stronghold."},{"_id":"3LSGWTZAOJBQHPNSSRNE56ODYQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732026443379},"type":"text","content":"It would have been easier for the mother of four to relax into retirement and raise her children, all of whom are under the age of 10. But her children were the reason she entered the race."},{"_id":"J4PXJFUNWFARNF6LRWC3NAZHHI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732026443380},"type":"text","content":"“Having children was a very strong driver for me to run,” White said when we spoke by phone this week. “But I couldn’t do a lot of things I would have done if I didn’t have kids.”"},{"_id":"3USMNL6KXRC27EBAJ4JEYI4BAI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732026443381},"type":"text","content":"Despite having a relatively high number of female state legislators compared to other states in the region — 35% — some women with political aspirations still find themselves in a catch-22."},{"_id":"SUXKA7QHJRCGLDVSCYIZLNHDBI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732031188384},"type":"text","content":"Democratic women were spurred to run for office after Roe’s reversal. Many of them are moms who want to create a better world for their children. But having children can also make it harder to overcome the barriers to entry in a political system that never intended to include them."},{"_id":"63HOGXKR2ZFEZL74QL7SLYXGX4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732026443382},"type":"text","content":"White’s husband is an intensive care burn unit nurse. Her children are ages 10, 8 and 6-year-old twins. If she hadn’t retired, she probably could not have run for office."},{"_id":"HXWB63J75BF6BBAX762JXK3O74","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732026443383},"type":"text","content":"“I was able to do most (campaign) work when the kids were in school,” she said. “You can use campaign funds for a babysitter but if you don’t have that much, you can’t use it all for that. It comes down to money.”"},{"_id":"YWN4TZ3DMVGVRGOZI3FACTGIJE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732026443384},"type":"text","content":"White said she received a flood of cash in the final 30 days of her campaign, but it was in the early months that she really needed it. And if she had won a seat, any extra family income would have been used for child care."},{"_id":"D7COEUCHYJDXJEUK5ZYVBO4AWY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732026443385},"type":"text","content":"The barriers to entry for women in politics extend beyond the campaign trail."},{"_id":"DUTFOKWUXBD43JC2VPUDASD5TE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732046923159},"type":"text","content":"If they win a seat in the legislature there are more challenges to overcome: poor pay (only four states pay livable wages), no benefits (only Colorado has paid leave), lots of travel with per diems for meals and hotel expenses but not child care, limited opportunity for hybrid work, and Capitol buildings with little to no infrastructure that caters to the needs of women and working moms."},{"_id":"E3FIX6VDBZDEHEJKDXX5NTQV5I","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732026443386},"type":"text","content":"“A lot of the way it is structured does deter folks of different backgrounds from getting into it,” said Debra Shigley, who challenged Jan Jones in House District 47 and came away with 38% of the vote. “What are the benefits and how feasible is it to do this job and be a public servant as a practical matter?”"},{"_id":"YGTG6H5KT5HV7GZSWPRE73VJGA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732026443387},"type":"text","content":"Shigley, a mom of five in Milton, who has worked as an attorney, a journalist, and an entrepreneur, said some people get to the General Assembly and resort to a career change to accommodate the pace of life as an elected official."},{"_id":"QIWDIA3NJBEU3CNGYR6GOWMZYA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732026443388},"type":"text","content":"Running for office taught her the art of extreme triage. “How moms with small kids run is a bit different from how others do it,” said Shigley who through a steady push over a long period, raised more than $285,000 and knocked on almost 27,000 doors. “You will not be able to be all-encompassing schedule-wise.”"},{"_id":"XXSCLRMBQBH3JJT3T7JKBWMG7I","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732026443389},"type":"text","content":"Shigley too hadn’t considered running for public office until the reversal of Roe. That moment ignited in her a deep desire to impact the world her children will inherit. “As we see policies that impact our own lived experience … it is bound to inspire more women to jump into the fray.”"},{"_id":"FAYSTC7QDRG35HAFTRXULAJIYQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732026443390},"type":"text","content":"More women in the fray, means more women with children in the fray, which could be the silver lining that helps reduce the structural barriers for women with children as well as other women who are caregivers."},{"_id":"CJ7I2XCSZZHMRBXQJTOUIIF5FM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732026443391},"type":"text","content":"Cathy Kott, a self-described “raging feminist” said the fall of Roe smacked her in the face. As a nurse, she sees firsthand some of the challenges women have experienced and she felt removing their choice would make some bad situations even worse."},{"_id":"EQGBVINKEBCPPFJQE4XSX7C2JU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732026443392},"type":"text","content":"She asked her daughter why she wasn’t taking more of an activist role. Her daughter turned the question back on her. Kott decided to run for House District 6 where there hasn’t been a Democrat to vote for in 20 years."},{"_id":"LRJEM66JNJGK7PJCI2HSQQ4ED4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732026443393},"type":"text","content":"Kott has a flexible work schedule that allows her to care for her 82-year-old mother whose memory issues prevent her from being left alone. So Kott turned her living room into an office and ran her campaign from home. She also managed to knock on more than 5,000 doors and raise about $25,000 in campaign funds."},{"_id":"JTBQDRNQ5RDGBMJXEUYCRS53FQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732026443394},"type":"text","content":"A combination of social security payments and campaign funds allowed Kott to hire sitters to care for her mother when she had to travel. “I found out somewhere down the road that we were allowed to use campaign funds for sitters. If I was overnight in Atlanta, I would pay for her to have a sitter out of campaign funds,” she said."},{"_id":"ZRRGZCI3DVGDHMY7AD73L3HUWU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732026443395},"type":"text","content":"Kott knew if she won the seat, it would be a hardship. She was hatching a plan that involved enlisting a cousin to care for her mother for three months or patching together a schedule with her son and her mom’s caregiver. She knew there was no way she would be able to commute daily from Cohutta when the legislature was in session."},{"_id":"UR2CH4K6AFAV3I74P6I3J5KL5U","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732026443396},"type":"text","content":"Georgia ranks 22nd in the country for the number of women lawmakers (mostly Democrats) in the state legislature. That’s not bad but it could be better."},{"_id":"JT2IMAXJA5FR5LXJOSVHTEYYJY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732031188400},"type":"text","content":"It’s important to celebrate the women who have managed to earn and hold seats in the Georgia Assembly. But jumping over hurdles to get there isn’t the same as removing those hurdles from the race."},{"_id":"IZUPT6UTTZCA7LFQF22GCWVK3Q","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1732031188401},"type":"text","content":"<i>Read more on the Real Life blog (</i><a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/opinion/real-life-blog/\"><i>www.ajc.com/opinion/real-life-blog/</i></a><i>) and find Nedra on Facebook (</i><a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/AJCRealLifeColumn\"><i>www.facebook.com/AJCRealLifeColumn</i></a><i>) and X (</i><a href=\"https://twitter.com/nrhoneajc\"><i>@nrhoneajc</i></a><i>) or email her at </i><a href=\"mailto:Nedra.Rhone@ajc.com\"><i>nedra.rhone@ajc.com</i></a><i>.</i>"}],"display_date":"2024-11-20T10:00:00Z","credits":{"by":[{"image":{"version":"0.5.8","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/98f2f50c-d4da-49ae-9bde-27e4311ab5ad.png"},"socialLinks":[{"site":"email","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"nedra.rhone@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"https://twitter.com/nrhoneajc"}],"social_links":[{"site":"email","url":"nedra.rhone@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","url":"https://twitter.com/nrhoneajc"}],"name":"Nedra Rhone","description":"Nedra Rhone is a lifestyle columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution where she has been a reporter since 2006. 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Wade. As a female candidate with caregiver responsibilities, her efforts highlight the challenges that still prevent many other women from running for office. EMILY HANEY / EMILY.HANEY@AJC.COM","type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"8aec2b8c-455c-4816-903d-79fc8fdf8019"},"url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/F27KRS5EBQ6V5P36WNNJULYKV4.jpg","height":1271}},"canonical_url":"/opinion/columnists/opinion-in-a-run-for-state-legislature-women-still-have-hurdles-to-jump/CW2VCN7YXZFZPM2BLC6OXUOQBE/","_id":"CW2VCN7YXZFZPM2BLC6OXUOQBE"},{"content_elements":[{"_id":"PK6TFEMU4NCOZFOBYUWVBDLR7Y","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731621973474},"type":"text","content":"The old suburban white flight counties of Cobb and Gwinnett are now voting solidly blue and are increasingly crowded."},{"_id":"JFMMRH4KMRH5TLG54DTH5XR36Y","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731704467361},"type":"text","content":"So it seemed it might be time to finally <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta-news/gridlock-guy-weighing-major-transit-votes-in-gwinnett-and-cobb/PCITXQ2JRRHHPL7DONPRMXMQ3Y/\" target=\"_blank\">create some real transit systems </a>to match their urbanization."},{"_id":"MIRHBD32N5HHRCHJHFW33FIMZM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731704467362},"type":"text","content":"The thought this year was that highways are clogged and voters, who now are of many hues and ethnicities, might think differently from those of the past. This time, the thinking went, residents might agree to tax themselves (a 1-cent sales tax over 30 years) and create sprawling transit systems to make their counties more accessible to all residents."},{"_id":"KRQINVXU5BHRVITRKFZKKV2Y7Q","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731704467363},"type":"text","content":"And maybe shorten godawful commutes."},{"_id":"ULS7ZP6M25GFXEVHR4G44VVJ44","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731704467364},"type":"text","content":"Nope."},{"_id":"7KJCZZD3KZA47ORCBJL3XDBQUU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731704467365},"type":"text","content":"Although Kamala Harris won decisively in both counties — getting 57% of the vote in Cobb and 58% in Gwinnett — <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta-news/georgia-election-behind-the-defeat-of-transit-expansion-in-two-suburban-atlanta-counties/NUBBJFW7G5HOJHEBD44OWAN7IQ/\" target=\"_blank\">the transit plans fell way short of those totals.</a>"},{"_id":"JXMDJJRR7FF73NGOHYZD6V6ABE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731704467366},"type":"text","content":"The Cobb plan went down in flames, losing 62% to 38%."},{"_id":"HGJEAQ5SOFF7BCKVTWKZJRET44","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731704467367},"type":"text","content":"Gwinnett’s fared better, but still lost by 7 points, 53.5% to 46.5%."},{"_id":"QCKVELBV4FAXDEVFVJFCSJJUJU","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"_id":"3DPA25RFU5APJOY3BPIVFC5CEA"},"type":"interstitial_link","content":"See how Cobb County and Gwinnett county precincts voted on transit referendums","url":"https://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta-news/cobb-and-gwinnett-transit-vote-results-see-how-each-precinct-voted-where-support-was-strongest/UN2TACQZL5AFHGUM4K5CYOZ52Q/"},{"_id":"JQQNSF3S75DTDGAV3A3JELLZ6Q","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731704467368},"type":"text","content":"The Gwinnett plan, which could have raised up to $17 billion over 30 years, seemed more winnable than Cobb’s, which could have raised more than $10 billion."},{"_id":"RD67KITIYBDVXLDPV5WVZZGA7E","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731704467369},"type":"text","content":"Part of that optimism was that, in 2020, a transit referendum in Gwinnett lost by just 1,000 votes out of nearly 400,000 cast. It was a far cry from the <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/news/local-govt--politics/bruising-lessons-from-gwinnett-1990-marta-vote-linger-today/SxklzWbxAIvNIkRSpO53IN/\" target=\"_blank\">raw and racially divisive vote there in 1990</a>. Back then, the population was 90% white. It lost 70-30."},{"owner":{"id":"ajc"},"workflow":{"status_code":4},"auth":{"1":"a58b95f508a8062fd6a06b83f2e1c051c46cc082cc08d0a234c64494ea3fd74a"},"caption":"A brochure for MARTA showing the transit agency’s rail system as it existed ahead of Gwinnett’s 1990 referendum. (via Georgia State University Library Digital Collections)","source":{"system":"Methode","source_type":"other","source_id":"4e15629e-33af-11e9-b129-a32b62e7d9c6","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"}},"type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"8aec2b8c-455c-4816-903d-79fc8fdf8019"},"version":"0.10.9","url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/533GGTPTVUYRR4FWRESIK7UW44.jpg","licensable":false,"display_date":"2019-02-18T18:59:23Z","credits":{},"subtitle":"Bruising lessons from Gwinnett’s 1990 MARTA vote linger today","width":2048,"first_publish_date":"2019-02-18T18:59:23Z","_id":"533GGTPTVUYRR4FWRESIK7UW44","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/EL0c9UcxpKVxH5LmMWTdnNax1Tg=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/533GGTPTVUYRR4FWRESIK7UW44.jpg","comments":[],"proxyUrl":"/resizer/EL0c9UcxpKVxH5LmMWTdnNax1Tg=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/533GGTPTVUYRR4FWRESIK7UW44.jpg","takenOn":"2019-02-18T18:59:23Z","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/533GGTPTVUYRR4FWRESIK7UW44.jpg","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/EL0c9UcxpKVxH5LmMWTdnNax1Tg=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/533GGTPTVUYRR4FWRESIK7UW44.jpg","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/0Z5LognW10YKSyofFs3mVuFAdTA=/300x0/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/533GGTPTVUYRR4FWRESIK7UW44.jpg","version":0,"originalName":"https://www.ajc.com//rw/Pub/p10/AJC/2019/02/18/Images/newsEngin.23765881_martabrochure1989snip.jpg","mime_type":"image/jpeg","restricted":false,"galleries":[],"_id":"LOMPYYMC6BHCRF5XDKWRMXHKHE"},"created_date":"2020-06-27T10:20:18Z","last_updated_date":"2020-06-27T10:20:18Z","publish_date":"2019-02-18T18:59:23Z","height":998},{"_id":"75YKWNUNVRFYZLW74JXZPHZC74","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731704467370},"type":"text","content":"Today, Gwinnett is a far different place, with a population of nearly 1 million residents (there were 352,000 in 1990) and it is now 31% African American, 30% white, 23% Hispanic and 14% Asian."},{"_id":"STXE3VCRBZAAFJJJAAMLAVGB4Y","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731704467371},"type":"text","content":"It didn’t really matter. It was a racially diverse coalition of “No” votes."},{"_id":"3AUQVTFTVVGLRAD2XQFSZSHYXU","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"_id":"4LEOYB336VGMBGHE62BS7HVD24"},"type":"interstitial_link","content":"Gridlock Guy: How the election results could affect Atlanta traffic","url":"https://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta-news/gridlock-guy-how-the-election-results-could-affect-atlanta-traffic/GLVRGFRHJNHDFP2LVAVMLKVEOY/"},{"_id":"E4DQQPTNWRBERGMTT73IPI5PME","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731704467372},"type":"text","content":"Cobb is whiter than Gwinnett — 48% — which I believe drove the higher “No” vote."},{"_id":"TEOWPCSLB5EHFGGA6CEFGXL5S4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731704467373},"type":"text","content":"Commissioner Jasper Watkins, who represents southeast Gwinnett with a large Black population and many subdivisions of single-family homes, said the vote “was truly not a partisan issue. It was socio-economic. The environment was toxic for any kind of tax.”"},{"_id":"OZ3GWUPBNVBDDJWZB56F2UN3KM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731704467374},"type":"text","content":"Most of the <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta-news/cobb-and-gwinnett-transit-vote-results-see-how-each-precinct-voted-where-support-was-strongest/UN2TACQZL5AFHGUM4K5CYOZ52Q/\" target=\"_blank\">precincts in his district voted against it</a>. Residents weren’t voting black and white. The were voting green."},{"_id":"XKCXIXOV6VCOFJY5RJWT3SOGXU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731704467375},"type":"text","content":"Gwinnett honed its current proposal from past failures:"},{"_id":"7NA4ZPHG4VG4JF7NWTJ4WJ5INI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731704467376},"type":"text","content":"— “MARTA” carries a bad connotation with suburban voters? OK, we’ll do our own system."},{"_id":"KPBMSB6Q3RDODNDBKIZ5VABYCQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731704467377},"type":"text","content":"— Heavy rail is costly (and would connect to MARTA’s)? Well, then, let’s lose that option."},{"_id":"4YHQICDX4JACZGF6UZJ56DMENI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731704467378},"type":"text","content":"— Gwinnett is more diverse? Let’s have plans explained in Spanish."},{"_id":"SIWD5GIX3VHKRHFO4U6LW2AMV4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731704467379},"type":"text","content":"— Much of the county is single family and not dense enough for transit? We’ll have “micro-transit,” which is kind of like government-run Uber."},{"_id":"BYTXDJU6NZB23K3YYSWJHWQKKM","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"_id":"GMRV5LOC35EQNNLXMCZ54NQIL4"},"type":"interstitial_link","content":"Cobb, Gwinnett voters make view on transit clear. What’s uncertain? The future ahead","url":"https://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta-news/georgia-election-behind-the-defeat-of-transit-expansion-in-two-suburban-atlanta-counties/NUBBJFW7G5HOJHEBD44OWAN7IQ/"},{"owner":{"sponsored":false,"id":"ajc"},"address":{},"syndication":{},"auth":{"1":"7bf4aa53eb5749ccbb2eccbeab53871b78f6a00ad87c38c953b7a52c4f125050"},"caption":"Partnership Gwinnett Redevelopment Champion Hall of Fame Inductee: Emory Morsberger accepting his award. (Courtesy Partnership Gwinnett)","source":{"system":"photo center","name":"AJC","edit_url":"","source_type":"staff","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"}},"taxonomy":{"associated_tasks":[]},"type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"8aec2b8c-455c-4816-903d-79fc8fdf8019"},"version":"0.10.9","url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/ZUNO5BOA3FBHREOMBQ4ECKUNBA.jpg","licensable":false,"credits":{"affiliation":[],"by":[{"name":"Partnership Gwinnett","type":"author","byline":"Partnership Gwinnett"}]},"subtitle":"Partnership Gwinnett","width":2000,"_id":"ZUNO5BOA3FBHREOMBQ4ECKUNBA","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/dLpE9gZZrYEvx3C9DAd7ZInthRo=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/ZUNO5BOA3FBHREOMBQ4ECKUNBA.jpg","owner":"karenhuppertz@gmail.com","comments":[],"keywords":[""],"proxyUrl":"/resizer/dLpE9gZZrYEvx3C9DAd7ZInthRo=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/ZUNO5BOA3FBHREOMBQ4ECKUNBA.jpg","takenOn":"2021-10-21T18:57:03Z","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/ZUNO5BOA3FBHREOMBQ4ECKUNBA.jpg","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/dLpE9gZZrYEvx3C9DAd7ZInthRo=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/ZUNO5BOA3FBHREOMBQ4ECKUNBA.jpg","ingestionMethod":"manual","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/R3hGqAeAHbkXuRgOgOQ0eBLQU2c=/300x0/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/ZUNO5BOA3FBHREOMBQ4ECKUNBA.jpg","version":0,"originalName":"Redevelopment Champion - Emory.jpg","mime_type":"image/jpeg","restricted":false,"template_id":594,"galleries":[],"_id":"4DPVBIHGBNGINFP6ANVXSMYJVI"},"created_date":"2021-10-29T13:32:28Z","last_updated_date":"2021-10-29T13:32:28Z","height":1333,"image_type":"photograph"},{"_id":"UM4P65T72FD3HDKEWMTZJRHSE4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731704467380},"type":"text","content":"“They were jumping through hoops to get everyone served,” said Emory Morsberger, who runs the <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/neighborhoods/gwinnett/gateway85-to-lower-2023-millage-rate/5T6BDGARY5AAJCCS2ENG5CIS3I/\" target=\"_blank\">Gateway85 Community Improvement District</a>, a self taxing area on I-85 on the county’s west side. Those were largely the precincts that supported it."},{"_id":"JTSUYGM745HM3NHKRHSSKU4LYQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731704467381},"type":"text","content":"The plan tried to give a little of everything to everybody. And in the end, they ended up with nothing."},{"_id":"VNX5RWMYSNGUDGW2I5UNFJ52IU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731704467382},"type":"text","content":"Ultimately, it came down to an age-old question: What’s in it for me?"},{"_id":"Z5QOR3WVV5FU3APJ5S6Z476ATE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731704467383},"type":"text","content":"Morsberger summed up the feeling: “If I don’t need it, I don’t want to pay for it.”"},{"_id":"SVJJ6ZJKOBBI7J35UK43ABOJTQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731704467384},"type":"text","content":"It’s true Gwinnett has changed, he said. “We have lost a lot of the people who didn’t want a connection to Atlanta. They’re either dead or have moved on.”"},{"_id":"7AD7FQQ7RFHO7CMNJAIHOFKA3E","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731704467385},"type":"text","content":"But they’ve been replaced by new residents who have the same feeling about transit for a different reason. He noted that minority residents (now a large <i>majority </i>in the county) “moved up and out” to Gwinnett. “They’re living the suburban dream and that doesn’t include a bus on your street."},{"_id":"JGJUNXZ4WFARDBYSLIP7RWWNOM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731704467386},"type":"text","content":"“A lot of people who moved here to single-family homes opposed it,” Morsberger said. “In Snellville, if you have two cars in the driveway, you’re not going to vote for it.”"},{"_id":"5RWJBWA4YJBSHH3PENBRUEDIQU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731704467387},"type":"text","content":"Morseberger said he’s exploring the idea of creating a “special purpose tax district” to bolster the existing transit plan. (There is limited service funded by property taxes and grants.)"},{"_id":"SIZYNSVN3RD2XGBSVAQ35PMRLI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731704467388},"type":"text","content":"“I’m tired of repeating this and expecting a different result,” he said."},{"_id":"HJVXYO4TG5BXBEXAAHYS54UHTA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731704467389},"type":"text","content":"Commissioner Matthew Holtkamp, the commission’s sole Republican and the board’s outlier in opposition to the plan, said the proposal was asking for just too much money for an uncertain future in the transit world."},{"_id":"PBL625Z3XZESZAN3TEBNNNIZDI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731704467390},"type":"text","content":"In fact, transit ridership has been dropping in cities across the nation over the past two decades for numerous reasons. He posted a video of him riding an empty Gwinnett bus."},{"_id":"GSQDLSOXIFFIZM2M36LVJEN3TM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731704467391},"type":"text","content":"It seemed to catch the mood of unhappy voters."},{"owner":{"sponsored":false,"id":"ajc"},"address":{},"syndication":{},"auth":{"1":"9d919ef675c589f7b22e33d89ccba182b67c147b4194203421d71204cf2f0f44"},"caption":"Gwinnett County Commissioner Matthew Holtkamp rode an empty bus in a social media post urging voters to reject e referendum to fund transit in the county.","source":{"system":"photo center","name":"AJC","edit_url":"","source_type":"staff","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"}},"taxonomy":{"associated_tasks":[]},"type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"8aec2b8c-455c-4816-903d-79fc8fdf8019"},"version":"0.10.9","url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/NBSLCRKBFJDOTFK46XJLXHRM54.jpg","licensable":false,"credits":{"affiliation":[{"name":"Matthew Holtkamp","type":"author"}],"by":[{"name":"Matthew Holtkamp","type":"author","byline":"Matthew Holtkamp"}]},"subtitle":"Gwinnett County Commissioner Matthew Holtkamp","width":960,"creditIPTC":"Matthew Holtkamp","_id":"NBSLCRKBFJDOTFK46XJLXHRM54","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/6ICOHrhml9FADUI-J0YeEZbmjjw=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/NBSLCRKBFJDOTFK46XJLXHRM54.jpg","owner":"william.torpy@ajc.com","comments":[],"keywords":[],"proxyUrl":"/resizer/6ICOHrhml9FADUI-J0YeEZbmjjw=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/NBSLCRKBFJDOTFK46XJLXHRM54.jpg","takenOn":"2024-11-15T14:25:15Z","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/NBSLCRKBFJDOTFK46XJLXHRM54.jpg","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/6ICOHrhml9FADUI-J0YeEZbmjjw=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/NBSLCRKBFJDOTFK46XJLXHRM54.jpg","ingestionMethod":"manual","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/a2Lo_VWGBh517zF4QrmHrvPAocw=/300x0/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/NBSLCRKBFJDOTFK46XJLXHRM54.jpg","version":0,"originalName":"holtkamp.jpg","mime_type":"image/jpeg","restricted":false,"template_id":594,"galleries":[],"_id":"PHSQZS6UFFAC7I7PI7DQWADFMQ"},"created_date":"2024-11-15T21:09:51Z","last_updated_date":"2024-11-15T21:09:51Z","height":1384,"image_type":"photograph"},{"_id":"ZYPSRAB67RGVFFA5RR655NLBQ4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731704467392},"type":"text","content":"In Cobb, transit supporter Matt Stigall sang a familiar tune, saying there was an anti-tax mood with voters and a bubbling feeling that the plan was “transit for others.”"},{"_id":"PWBTGG2PDJHAVDVYBQ4KIKNUPQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731704467393},"type":"text","content":"He said the initiative wasn’t well publicized or explained and often drew blank stares from voters. Plus the legalese wording, “<i>Shall a special 1 percent sales and use tax be imposed...” </i>sure didn’t help the effort."},{"_id":"A6JWUT7AGVGLVOTMHGURZEJDFU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731704467394},"type":"text","content":"Cobb had more organized opposition than Gwinnett, including Republican school board Chairman Randy Scamihorn, who used his taxpayer-funded bully pulpit to rail against the plan."},{"_id":"QRDDZCTOR5DE7B4NBKAT5STV7Q","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731704467395},"type":"text","content":"In a couple of missives, he said the vote would <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta-news/cobb-school-board-chair-uses-district-website-to-oppose-transit/5QY23XXYKBA6LCDYHGAR7QZDCE/\" target=\"_blank\">“negatively impact our schools”</a> and “increase the transience of students and families from the metro, into and out of Cobb.”"},{"_id":"J5GM262VIZH4TAUHTNS3LEPZBU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731704467396},"type":"text","content":"It had the ring of arguments from another decade."},{"_id":"F4QJCRGWQNDCFAVU2Z4HLGOSH4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731704467397},"type":"text","content":"Because the past is never really gone."},{"owner":{"sponsored":false,"id":"ajc"},"address":{},"syndication":{},"auth":{"1":"35829716717440417ac2b0de7d962e07839a5a1e4c76e78b9a90905d1a7e7750"},"caption":"Bill Torpy - AJC staffer 2024","source":{"system":"photo center","name":"AJC","edit_url":"","source_type":"staff","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"}},"taxonomy":{"associated_tasks":[]},"type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"8aec2b8c-455c-4816-903d-79fc8fdf8019"},"version":"0.10.9","url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/KBFWCPKIS5GJZO6PJA7B5G4HEQ.jpg","licensable":false,"credits":{"affiliation":[],"by":[{"name":"Jeremy Freeman / Dagger ","type":"author","byline":"Jeremy Freeman / Dagger "}]},"subtitle":"Bill Torpy","width":8021,"_id":"KBFWCPKIS5GJZO6PJA7B5G4HEQ","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/lsG86MfFuJp5VikQfpxZBicFKs8=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/KBFWCPKIS5GJZO6PJA7B5G4HEQ.jpg","owner":"jada.harris@ajc.com","comments":[],"keywords":[""],"proxyUrl":"/resizer/lsG86MfFuJp5VikQfpxZBicFKs8=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/KBFWCPKIS5GJZO6PJA7B5G4HEQ.jpg","takenOn":"2023-10-25T15:24:10Z","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/KBFWCPKIS5GJZO6PJA7B5G4HEQ.jpg","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/lsG86MfFuJp5VikQfpxZBicFKs8=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/KBFWCPKIS5GJZO6PJA7B5G4HEQ.jpg","ingestionMethod":"manual","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/j7gY1_2vN5ZRV_E-TGGzraiP5FY=/300x0/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/KBFWCPKIS5GJZO6PJA7B5G4HEQ.jpg","version":0,"originalName":"AJC_2023_02752_R.jpg","mime_type":"image/jpeg","restricted":false,"template_id":594,"galleries":[],"_id":"NZWBXRZAJNG3NCSCJRZF7HDJO4"},"created_date":"2024-07-25T18:22:51Z","last_updated_date":"2024-07-25T18:22:51Z","height":5350,"image_type":"photograph"}],"display_date":"2024-11-18T10:00:00Z","credits":{"by":[{"image":{"version":"0.5.8","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/e7ef0c5b-c33a-4581-8b37-6cbb7dcb343c.png"},"socialLinks":[{"site":"email","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"btorpy@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"https://twitter.com/billtorpy"}],"social_links":[{"site":"email","url":"btorpy@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","url":"https://twitter.com/billtorpy"}],"name":"Bill Torpy","description":"Bill Torpy, who writes about metro Atlanta for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, joined the newspaper in 1990.","_id":"bill-torpy","additional_properties":{"original":{"lastName":"Torpy","image":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/e7ef0c5b-c33a-4581-8b37-6cbb7dcb343c.png","role":"Columnist","education":[],"longBio":"Bill Torpy, who writes about metro Atlanta for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, joined the newspaper in 1990. He writes the metro column and has covered politics, government and countless stories about police, courts, the justice system and humanity in general. The Chicago native graduated from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Ill., and previously worked for the Daily Southtown in Chicago","org":"ajc","affiliations":"The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","bio":"Bill Torpy, who writes about metro Atlanta for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, joined the newspaper in 1990.","author_type":"Staff","type":"author","expertise":"7.16,10","firstName":"Bill","twitter":"https://twitter.com/billtorpy","books":[],"podcasts":[],"awards":[],"beat":"Metro columnist","custom_ajc_website":"ajc","_id":"bill-torpy","last_updated_date":"2023-06-12T22:45:24.641Z","bio_page":"/staff/bill-torpy/","byline":"Bill Torpy","email":"btorpy@ajc.com","status":true}},"type":"author","version":"0.5.8","url":"/staff/bill-torpy/"}]},"subtype":"Article","headlines":{"basic":"TORPY: A tale of two failed transit votes. Or, ‘I’d rather just drive’"},"first_publish_date":"2024-11-18T10:00:04.871Z","taxonomy":{"primary_site":{"path":"/opinion/columnists","parent_id":"/opinion","name":"AJC Columnists","description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","_id":"/opinion/columnists","additional_properties":{"original":{"parent":{"AmpNav":"/opinion","default":"/opinion","MainMenu2024":"/opinion","BottomNav":null,"TopNavRedesign":null,"SectionMap":"/","MainMenuRedesign2021":null,"TopNav":null,"ComposerNav":"/opinion"},"site":{"section_comments_enabled":"Yes","site_description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","site_title":"AJC Columnists"},"navigation":{"nav_title":"AJC Columnists"},"inactive":false,"node_type":"section","name":"AJC Columnists","_id":"/opinion/columnists","ancestors":{"MainMenu2024":["/","/opinion"],"TopNavRedesign":[],"SectionMap":["/"],"MainMenuRedesign2021":[],"TopNav":[],"ComposerNav":["/opinion"]},"order":{"MainMenu2024":2002,"SectionMap":1073,"ComposerNav":2003}}},"type":"site","version":"0.5.8"},"sections":[{"path":"/opinion/columnists","parent":{"default":"/opinion"},"_website":"ajc","parent_id":"/opinion","name":"AJC Columnists","description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","_id":"/opinion/columnists","additional_properties":{"original":{"parent":{"AmpNav":"/opinion","default":"/opinion","MainMenu2024":"/opinion","BottomNav":null,"TopNavRedesign":null,"SectionMap":"/","MainMenuRedesign2021":null,"TopNav":null,"ComposerNav":"/opinion"},"site":{"section_comments_enabled":"Yes","site_description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","site_title":"AJC Columnists"},"navigation":{"nav_title":"AJC Columnists"},"inactive":false,"node_type":"section","_website":"ajc","name":"AJC Columnists","_id":"/opinion/columnists","ancestors":{"MainMenu2024":["/","/opinion"],"TopNavRedesign":[],"SectionMap":["/"],"MainMenuRedesign2021":[],"TopNav":[],"ComposerNav":["/opinion"]},"order":{"MainMenu2024":2002,"SectionMap":1073,"ComposerNav":2003}}},"_website_section_id":"ajc./opinion/columnists","type":"section","version":"0.6.0"}],"primary_section":{"path":"/opinion/columnists","name":"AJC Columnists"},"tags":[{"text":"torpy at large"},{"text":"atlanta-news-metro.ajc"},{"text":"torpy-rss"},{"text":"teamdan"},{"text":"localnews.ajc"},{"text":"local government"},{"text":"gwinnett county"},{"text":"cobb county"},{"text":"opt-test"},{"text":"opinion"}]},"label":{"tease_label":{"display":true,"text":"OPINION"},"custom_label":{"display":true,"text":"ONLY ON AJC: TORPY AT LARGE"}},"type":"story","last_updated_date":"2024-11-18T12:15:42.556Z","promo_items":{"basic":{"credits":{"by":[{"name":"HYOSUB SHIN / AJC","type":"author"}]},"subtitle":"Cobb Gwinnett transit","width":5989,"caption":"Customers get on Gwinnett County Transit bus at the Civic Center MARTA station, Thursday, September 19, 2024, in Atlanta. This is for a story about the history of failed transit expansions in Gwinnett and Cobb, previewing the November transit referendum in both counties. (Hyosub Shin / AJC)","type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"custom","name":"AJC Freelancer","category":"wires"},"url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/T43V3I7LWI7PQKZV7DQEXI63ZU.jpg","height":3833}},"canonical_url":"/opinion/columnists/torpy-a-tale-of-two-failed-transit-votes-or-id-rather-just-drive/P7AHU4BX7RCVBP5C7ZO2VUTMKM/","_id":"P7AHU4BX7RCVBP5C7ZO2VUTMKM"},{"content_elements":[{"_id":"PQOKMGQ6XVA3BNLMQWQ5U6BPXU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731589983595},"type":"text","content":"A few months after I moved to Atlanta in 2006 to work for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, I was sent on assignment to the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority station in Buckhead to interview passengers."},{"_id":"YMLJJQSWNFFTBOTNADBJXVER5U","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731589983596},"type":"text","content":"It was early June and the transit system, then the ninth-largest in the U.S., was phasing out tokens in favor of the reusable, electronic Breeze Cards. For almost 30 years, MARTA riders had dropped the mix of metals into fare boxes in exchange for a ride, but with the prospect of saving $10 million in lost revenue, MARTA officials decided to toss the tokens."},{"_id":"QA3UHZH45RHSFNIDDKP4EIFZPU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731589983597},"type":"text","content":"I asked riders how they felt about bidding tokens goodbye, and mostly, I got a lot of shoulder shrugs and eye rolls. No one seemed to care about the tokens and they seemed to care even less about MARTA’s precarious finances."},{"_id":"B7GTZJWS3JCXPH6NTQN36QWJHA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731589983598},"type":"text","content":"This is when I realized just how ambivalent some Atlantans are about their public transportation system."},{"_id":"XO6LS47PWFBMJMJVMPEAZEJGFM","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"_id":"7BQS4JVQPBDOXCV3XIO6TJSG3Q"},"type":"interstitial_link","content":"Opinion: MARTA’s success must be a two-way street","url":"https://www.ajc.com/opinion/opinion-martas-success-must-be-a-two-way-street/Z7H3UOVQENFS3NAHK6IT72BE7I/"},{"_id":"TOW6HPTUDJHCFN2YWRZAK3LJ3Y","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731589983599},"type":"text","content":"“In general, people in Atlanta aren’t really into transit,” rider Wendy Darling said at the time. “It’s not like New York where everyone is into transit.”"},{"_id":"D7LCZZ7S4FHTRGBKUZY6D7GWTU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731589983600},"type":"text","content":"Darling lived downtown and was a heavy-duty MARTA rider. She even had a binder of MARTA memorabilia — more than 100 cards featuring artwork and images of prominent Atlantans — that she had collected for almost a decade."},{"_id":"NQV5MBMUFVG2VK4YTGBVYNJ6DU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731589983601},"type":"text","content":"Early this month when MARTA announced its <a href=\"https://itsmartamerch.com/\">first online merchandise shop</a>, I thought of Darling and how difficult it had been a few decades earlier to drum up anyone who was even remotely nostalgic about MARTA. Back in the day, MARTA issued special tokens to generate additional revenue, now they’ve turned to clothing and other merchandise."},{"_id":"VXI6V75SDVAYBK6X2BRWZSZTQI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731589983603},"type":"text","content":"“With options ranging from T-shirts to totes, the MARTA Merch store enables riders and transit fans to showcase their connection to Atlanta’s transit culture,” said a press release marking the opening."},{"_id":"M7ELQHD2I5FTVJOUOQGDFAK6DM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731589983604},"type":"text","content":"“Atlanta’s transit culture?” That’s a stretch."},{"_id":"FMH5JC6XWVCCPFIPWWFFANZFQQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731589983605},"type":"text","content":"Each year from 2020 to 2023, use of MARTA has hovered near 50% of the 2019 pre-pandemic level. Only Atlanta United soccer games and Taylor Swift concerts generate daily ridership comparable to the days when the transit system hosted more than 100 million riders each year."},{"_id":"EBLS2NVGJVFNPMFCTNIMQOX7ZY","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"_id":"GT4V4RAYANG4RO3KFSH5DWN7MY"},"type":"interstitial_link","content":"MARTA, Dickens say renovation of Five Points transit station can proceed","url":"https://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta-news/marta-dickens-say-five-points-renovation-can-proceed/5NRKYO22KBCGBD4A4QOIWHHI54/"},{"_id":"K7RAKQHHMJHJBJHU4D4L3TZWCI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731589983606},"type":"text","content":"MARTA’s challenges have been well documented in more than 50 years since it was funded by voters in 1971. It’s hard to build brand loyalty for a system that receives no state funding and limited support for expansion in a metro-area with an entrenched car culture. Bucket hats and backpacks won’t be the impetus that finally rallies Atlanta residents around MARTA."},{"_id":"SOSIOXURIREVDOT42O67AG3VRI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731589983607},"type":"text","content":"Who will shell out $25 to $65 for T-shirts and mini Pylon signs bearing station locations? Who has been waiting to upgrade their bathroom with a Breeze Card bath mat or a shower curtain that shows four rail lines to nowhere?"},{"_id":"XGITMT5RE5DB5LIGSRRK4EXOYI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731589983608},"type":"text","content":"“On a 71 x 74 inch shower curtain, all that white space where trains don’t go really hurts my eyes,” said one of my colleagues."},{"_id":"L3XP5JDCNBBRZE43ONGQ3RFUYE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731589983609},"type":"text","content":"“Just a daily reminder of how incomplete the system is!” said another."},{"_id":"XRER7OF3RVC2RIEURZOJYFRIZQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731589983610},"type":"text","content":"A few months before the online merch store opened, Atlanta United unveiled its “MARTA Collection,” the first custom retail collaboration between MARTA and a professional sports organization. Given the ridership of Atlanta United fans, it makes sense to build on that momentum. Maybe a Taylor Swift collab is to come?"},{"_id":"U4MSISEHLNF2RISUIEFGOI3MNY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731589983611},"type":"text","content":"There is plenty of MARTA memorabilia in online marketplaces to compete with the new official MARTA merch — a necklace made of MARTA tokens, a $400 painting of MARTA along the Beltline, vintage MARTA lapel pins, printed timetables and a pre-owned MARTA uniform. These items somehow feel more authentic, more like preserving a piece of history rather than new merch that distracts us from the real problems."},{"_id":"TOOC4GKPARED3HAVDIFJ5SMXFA","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"_id":"OETERJMTKRACHJYBE4WJ4Y3U2M"},"type":"interstitial_link","content":"MARTA to rethink weekend service cuts after Pride weekend delays","url":"https://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta-news/marta-to-rethink-weekend-service-cuts-after-pride-weekend-delays/6AWWURUZSRAGVBWORNLBCKFQH4/"},{"_id":"EFIK53STFFAORA2DZHA4OJYLPQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731589983612},"type":"text","content":"A few months after I wrote the story about tokens, I took a MARTA ride that I’ll never forget. I was convinced that public transit, if it existed, was meant to be utilized. I was a car owner who cared about the environment and a city dweller who figured that part of my civic duty was supporting and utilizing the rail system whenever possible."},{"_id":"LYQRYKNVXBH5RDKWLGNEZHMNOI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731589983613},"type":"text","content":"From my apartment on Ponce de Leon Ave., I walked a few blocks to the North Avenue station with plans to meet up with a friend in College Park. The friend, who had lived in Atlanta longer than me, questioned my judgment."},{"_id":"7ONJSF3IP5CMXLY2DAMN4Z2L6Y","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731589983614},"type":"text","content":"“Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked."},{"_id":"3WZKE5CJWVHRRDSWVSCKPINJVA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731589983615},"type":"text","content":"“Take the train? Of course,” I said, “What’s the big deal?”"},{"_id":"ZOYXCYMMJJFW7J32Y6DXFYA7SU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731589983616},"type":"text","content":"My friend explained that he would have to pick me up at the College Park station because there was no easy or timely mode of transportation that would get me from MARTA to our final destination."},{"_id":"7Z6QCRBVGJALPDCVKMHL4RKFVY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731589983617},"type":"text","content":"It was early December and somewhere between the Garnett and Oakland City stations, a light snow began blowing across the sky. Almost immediately, the train stopped in the middle of the tracks. After what felt like hours, the announcer said the train ride would terminate at Fort McPherson. I ended up shivering on the curb while I waited for my friend to pick me up."},{"_id":"4M2DKBMD2VA7RP27D64T7XEBRQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731589983618},"type":"text","content":"It was a long time before I rode MARTA again."},{"_id":"VBEMIKOZOVED7I55VJ7FTGQLTQ","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"_id":"QQ25DBD6PFFCTJCVYR6CWZUWTY"},"type":"interstitial_link","content":"Cobb, Gwinnett voters make view on transit clear. What’s uncertain? The future ahead","url":"https://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta-news/georgia-election-behind-the-defeat-of-transit-expansion-in-two-suburban-atlanta-counties/NUBBJFW7G5HOJHEBD44OWAN7IQ/"},{"_id":"OW34EXZJN5DZHIXRZJNIV3DWRQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731589983619},"type":"text","content":"These aren’t the kinds of experiences that engender loyalty and connection to a transit system but they are the kind of experiences I often hear from riders who want to support public transportation but are disappointed with MARTA."},{"_id":"K34TZD3RFJAYFN4FMQD5N2HVPY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731589983620},"type":"text","content":"These are the kind of riders for whom hoodies, onesies, and tote bags emblazoned with the MARTA logo serve as daily reminders of how much more MARTA could be and how frustrated they are with what it has become."},{"_id":"4CEPMNHT3ZBBHOOFBCWCWE3EZM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731456357930},"type":"text","content":"<i>Read more on the Real Life blog (</i><a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/opinion/real-life-blog/\"><i>www.ajc.com/opinion/real-life-blog/</i></a><i>) and find Nedra on Facebook (</i><a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/AJCRealLifeColumn\"><i>www.facebook.com/AJCRealLifeColumn</i></a><i>) and X (</i><a href=\"https://twitter.com/nrhoneajc\"><i>@nrhoneajc</i></a><i>) or email her at </i><a href=\"mailto:Nedra.Rhone@ajc.com\"><i>nedra.rhone@ajc.com</i></a><i>.</i>"}],"display_date":"2024-11-15T10:00:00Z","credits":{"by":[{"image":{"version":"0.5.8","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/98f2f50c-d4da-49ae-9bde-27e4311ab5ad.png"},"socialLinks":[{"site":"email","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"nedra.rhone@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"https://twitter.com/nrhoneajc"}],"social_links":[{"site":"email","url":"nedra.rhone@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","url":"https://twitter.com/nrhoneajc"}],"name":"Nedra Rhone","description":"Nedra Rhone is a lifestyle columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution where she has been a reporter since 2006. A graduate of Columbia University School of Journalism, she enjoys writing about the people, places and events that define metro Atlanta.","_id":"nedra-rhone","additional_properties":{"original":{"lastName":"Rhone","image":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/98f2f50c-d4da-49ae-9bde-27e4311ab5ad.png","role":"Lifestyle Columnist","education":[{"name":"University of Pennsylvania, Bachelor's degree in Economics"},{"name":"Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism"}],"longBio":"Nedra Rhone is a lifestyle columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution where she has been a reporter since 2006. A graduate of Columbia University School of Journalism, she enjoys writing about the people, places and events that define metro Atlanta. She has written about style, entertainment, personal finance and the environment for the AJC. Previously, Rhone was a staff writer at Newsday where her first assignment was covering the devastating impact of 9/11 on the families and communities of Long Island. She later covered K-12 education for Long Island's 125 school districts and is a Pulitzer Prize finalist for her reporting on women in hip-hop. ","org":"ajc","affiliations":"The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","bio":"Nedra Rhone is a lifestyle columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution where she has been a reporter since 2006. A graduate of Columbia University School of Journalism, she enjoys writing about the people, places and events that define metro Atlanta.","expertise":"2,7,16","author_type":"Staff","firstName":"Nedra","twitter":"https://twitter.com/nrhoneajc","books":[],"podcasts":[],"awards":[],"custom_ajc_phone":"404-526-5465","custom_ajc_website":"ajc","_id":"nedra-rhone","last_updated_date":"2024-08-01T19:40:05.320Z","byline":"Nedra Rhone","email":"nedra.rhone@ajc.com","status":true}},"type":"author","version":"0.5.8"}]},"subtype":"Article","headlines":{"basic":"RHONE: Is MARTA merch a SMARTA move?"},"first_publish_date":"2024-11-15T10:00:03.079Z","taxonomy":{"primary_site":{"path":"/opinion/columnists","parent_id":"/opinion","name":"AJC Columnists","description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","_id":"/opinion/columnists","additional_properties":{"original":{"parent":{"AmpNav":"/opinion","default":"/opinion","MainMenu2024":"/opinion","BottomNav":null,"TopNavRedesign":null,"SectionMap":"/","MainMenuRedesign2021":null,"TopNav":null,"ComposerNav":"/opinion"},"site":{"section_comments_enabled":"Yes","site_description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","site_title":"AJC Columnists"},"navigation":{"nav_title":"AJC Columnists"},"inactive":false,"node_type":"section","name":"AJC Columnists","_id":"/opinion/columnists","ancestors":{"MainMenu2024":["/","/opinion"],"TopNavRedesign":[],"SectionMap":["/"],"MainMenuRedesign2021":[],"TopNav":[],"ComposerNav":["/opinion"]},"order":{"MainMenu2024":2002,"SectionMap":1073,"ComposerNav":2003}}},"type":"site","version":"0.5.8"},"sections":[{"path":"/opinion/columnists","parent":{"default":"/opinion"},"_website":"ajc","parent_id":"/opinion","name":"AJC Columnists","description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","_id":"/opinion/columnists","additional_properties":{"original":{"parent":{"AmpNav":"/opinion","default":"/opinion","MainMenu2024":"/opinion","BottomNav":null,"TopNavRedesign":null,"SectionMap":"/","MainMenuRedesign2021":null,"TopNav":null,"ComposerNav":"/opinion"},"site":{"section_comments_enabled":"Yes","site_description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","site_title":"AJC Columnists"},"navigation":{"nav_title":"AJC Columnists"},"inactive":false,"node_type":"section","_website":"ajc","name":"AJC Columnists","_id":"/opinion/columnists","ancestors":{"MainMenu2024":["/","/opinion"],"TopNavRedesign":[],"SectionMap":["/"],"MainMenuRedesign2021":[],"TopNav":[],"ComposerNav":["/opinion"]},"order":{"MainMenu2024":2002,"SectionMap":1073,"ComposerNav":2003}}},"_website_section_id":"ajc./opinion/columnists","type":"section","version":"0.6.0"},{"path":"/opinion","parent":{"default":"/"},"_website":"ajc","parent_id":"/","name":"Opinion","description":"Opinion articles from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{"sponsor":{"sponsor_url_open_new_tab":"false","sponsor_desktop_banner":"","sponsor_mobile_banner":"","sponsor_url":""},"parent":{"AmpNav":"/","subnav_opinion":null,"TopicsBar2023":"/","BottomNav":null,"TopNavRedesign":null,"SectionMap":"/","TopNav":null,"TopicsBar":null,"ComposerNav":"/","subnav_homepage":null,"default":"/","MainMenu2024":"/","MainMenuRedesign2021":null},"site":{"site_url":"/opinion/","section_comments_enabled":"Yes","site_description":"Opinion articles from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","site_title":"Opinion"},"navigation":{"nav_title":"Opinion"},"inactive":false,"node_type":"section","_website":"ajc","name":"Opinion","_id":"/opinion","ancestors":{"subnav_opinion":[],"TopicsBar2023":["/"],"MainMenu2024":["/"],"TopNavRedesign":[],"SectionMap":["/"],"MainMenuRedesign2021":[],"TopNav":[],"TopicsBar":[],"ComposerNav":["/"],"subnav_homepage":[]},"order":{"AmpNav":1033,"TopicsBar2023":1008,"default":1083,"MainMenu2024":1009,"SectionMap":1092,"ComposerNav":1011}}},"_website_section_id":"ajc./opinion","type":"section","version":"0.6.0"}],"primary_section":{"path":"/opinion/columnists","name":"AJC Columnists"},"tags":[{"text":"lifestyle"},{"text":"atlanta-news-metro.ajc"},{"text":"real life blog"},{"text":"teamdan"},{"text":"UATL"},{"text":"opinion"},{"text":"localnews.ajc"},{"text":"local government"},{"text":"opt-test"}]},"label":{"tease_label":{"display":true,"text":"OPINION"},"custom_label":{"display":true,"text":"Real Life with Nedra Rhone"}},"type":"story","last_updated_date":"2024-11-15T10:00:03.079Z","promo_items":{"basic":{"credits":{"by":[{"name":"MARTA","type":"author","byline":"MARTA"}]},"subtitle":"Marta sells merchandise online","width":743,"caption":"In November, Marta introduced an online store that sells merchandise ranging from t-shirts and backpacks to foster brand loyalty among transit riders and enthusiasts. Image credit: MARTA","type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"8aec2b8c-455c-4816-903d-79fc8fdf8019"},"url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/FLREA36IDRBXXBIKL4Z7WZIHXM.png","height":557}},"canonical_url":"/opinion/columnists/opinion-is-marta-merch-a-smarta-move/L5EOF2E55FAP5KJCUVSV773DYQ/","_id":"L5EOF2E55FAP5KJCUVSV773DYQ"},{"content_elements":[{"_id":"PK6TFEMU4NCOZFOBYUWVBDLR7Y","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731384365897},"type":"text","content":"If you’re a Democrat, please never ever again utter the term <i>Latinx</i>. It oozes smug liberal elitism."},{"_id":"IWUUXEMQLRFWBFWQ23P64J5Q3I","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731435842835},"type":"text","content":"Granted, if you’re Hispanic, go ahead and use the gender-neutral term."},{"_id":"EJWO52TVZRBVLJOPFRPLHMCL7A","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731435842836},"type":"text","content":"Hint — you won’t."},{"_id":"T7FZTW6AWBBK5H6VQWYYJ2MBP4","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"_id":"HSKHPBT5RZEGDBOU4KTUDU3V4Q"},"type":"interstitial_link","content":"What I learned running as a Democrat in Marjorie Taylor Greene’s turf","url":"https://www.ajc.com/opinion/opinion-what-i-learned-running-as-a-democrat-in-marjorie-taylor-greenes-turf/EWC4LZGQ7VBUVFM5LVUAEGRR7U/"},{"_id":"UN7KND4ZQFGP5BVDTHK2342F2U","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731451866471},"type":"text","content":"Just 4% of Latinos like it, according to a recent Pew Research survey. They prefer “Hispanic” (52%) and “Latino” (29%). Most of the others surveyed shrugged and said <i>no sé.</i>"},{"_id":"6R7C4BK6INEBJHJ5ZHPZZZCUBM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731435842837},"type":"text","content":"But if you want to keep impressing your educated, progressive friends, please continue. Virtue signaling remains popular with a confined segment of the population still grieving last week’s election loss."},{"_id":"4BE67DA42FDTHA75YVOFYPCSD4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731435842838},"type":"text","content":"About 46% of Hispanic voters went for Donald Trump, according to an <a href=\"https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trumps-return-power-fueled-by-hispanic-working-class-voter-support-2024-11-06/\" target=\"_blank\">exit poll by Edison Research,</a> up a whopping 14 points up from his 2020 showing."},{"_id":"MQ4WZPMRQ5HJTPOJ4J5G5MC5MI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731435842839},"type":"text","content":"It wasn’t just Latinos, though. Almost every group shifted right: Black men. White men. White women. Voters without college degrees. Working class people."},{"_id":"NG7XEU26Y5CHRL6O3DU4FTNI3I","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731435842840},"type":"text","content":"Granted, Kamala Harris didn’t have a lot of runway to lift her campaign off the ground. But Democrats stuck with her after Uncle Joe imploded. And the incumbent party was troubled by economic headwinds that have taken down incumbents worldwide for more than a year."},{"_id":"P6DLRJBCR5DMXHN4GYELGIRNXA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731435842841},"type":"text","content":"But it seems voters here in the USA and in Georgia just aren’t buying what the Democrats are selling."},{"_id":"PJZBWYKW6FCTPILASZRH676ZEQ","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"_id":"REXFDRFJRVHVHOY2OXHUDR77NY"},"type":"interstitial_link","content":"This time, it’s the Democrats who need to change","url":"https://www.ajc.com/opinion/opinion-this-time-its-the-democrats-who-need-to-change/6HCTKOABOREMHP4RD4FNXTUQG4/"},{"_id":"A54RGQNP2BC2XJJZRAJYTJZI5M","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731449314307},"type":"text","content":"Democrats may have been the traditional party of the Little Guy. But Americans are no longer feeling it. Increasingly, people — at least Middle Americans — see Democrats and their progressive doctrine as annoying, preachy and out-of-step."},{"owner":{"id":"ajc"},"address":{"locality":"NEW YORK","region":"NY"},"auth":{"1":"e07b04c3a95404940c3cacb6e4a571bc38650ae76f133094ac2b274538160255"},"caption":"\n People raise a cardboard cutout of Former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, outside of Trump Tower, in New York, on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024. New York City Is Still a Democratic Town but Trump Made Inroads; the rightward shift in the presidential election results was especially pronounced among Asian voters and Hispanic voters in Queens and the Bronx. (Karsten Moran/The New York Times)\n ","source":{"system":"arc i/o","name":"New York Times","source_type":"wires","source_id":"https://nytapi.wieck.com/feed-photos/zOTNxjgQ","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"}},"taxonomy":{"associated_tasks":[]},"type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"6fa12dc0-f99c-4219-910f-a0a911a4d4c7"},"version":"0.10.9","url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/EHPXRXOESU7OKK7G6N6JUFTU7Y.jpg","licensable":false,"credits":{"affiliation":[{"name":"NYT","type":"author"}],"by":[{"name":"KARSTEN MORAN","type":"author"}]},"subtitle":"People raise a cardboard cutout of Former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, outside of Trump Tower, in New York, on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024. (Karsten Moran/The New York Times)","width":2048,"_id":"EHPXRXOESU7OKK7G6N6JUFTU7Y","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/yKFQ7KRy4iYkrcN_mHc332gkVOE=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/EHPXRXOESU7OKK7G6N6JUFTU7Y.jpg","iptc_source":"NYTNS","comments":[],"iptc_job_identifier":"XNYT0347","keywords":["2024","donald","elections","eln2024","gop","new york","new york city","north america","nyc","party","politics","president-elect","republican","trump","usa"],"proxyUrl":"/resizer/yKFQ7KRy4iYkrcN_mHc332gkVOE=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/EHPXRXOESU7OKK7G6N6JUFTU7Y.jpg","takenOn":"2024-11-06T06:38:55Z","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/EHPXRXOESU7OKK7G6N6JUFTU7Y.jpg","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/yKFQ7KRy4iYkrcN_mHc332gkVOE=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/EHPXRXOESU7OKK7G6N6JUFTU7Y.jpg","expiration_date":"2024-12-06T19:56:08Z","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/GTmXqMgGk5_akJFeWbjthw_H7iM=/300x0/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/EHPXRXOESU7OKK7G6N6JUFTU7Y.jpg","version":0,"originalName":"https://nytapi.wieck.com/feed-photos/zOTNxjgQ","mime_type":"application/octet-stream","restricted":false,"galleries":[],"_id":"DWVTIKZSXRFBTHYBRNLVJLLDZQ","iptc_title":"STR"},"created_date":"2024-11-06T19:56:10Z","last_updated_date":"2024-11-06T19:56:10Z","slug":"ELN NY TRUMP 2","height":1365},{"_id":"DXQEPICFJREVJFPDNH2EQD2OOI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731435842843},"type":"text","content":"Now, you might argue that irritating and condescending are less bad than aggressive and scary. And you’d be right. But here’s where we are."},{"_id":"VMIUP6PPQNGDHBXFHNKSZGYUW4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731435842844},"type":"text","content":"Many people I know are complaining that Harris’ loss is due to sexism, racism, xenophobia and a host of other <i>isms. </i>Some of that is<i> </i>true, to a point. But many others have switched to the GOP for other reasons. They just don’t think the Democratic Party embraces plain old common sense."},{"_id":"DOSY6P3ZLVHMRNESFFMLAVV7GE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731435842845},"type":"text","content":"A lot has been made about TV ads tying Harris to supporting sex-change operations for prisoners and having taxpayers foot the bill. It seems <a href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/16/us/politics/trump-prisons-transgender-care-harris.html\" target=\"_blank\">only two federal prisoners</a> got such procedures. Not only that, they were court-ordered and the “program” originated during Trump’s regime."},{"_id":"FZE5AOZPSBHA5E3CAUEVJQFZKY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731449314311},"type":"text","content":"Doesn’t matter."},{"_id":"B7PI54OTNBG3FAHRVTL477WTNM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731449314312},"type":"text","content":"<a href=\"https://www.factcheck.org/2024/10/harris-position-on-health-care-for-transgender-prisoners-and-detainees/\" target=\"_blank\">There’s video from 2019</a> of the then-California senator nodding in support for it. And the GOP ran with it, placing the ads on nearly every football game broadcast in swing states before the election."},{"_id":"JOWDLY37EFHMVHBUWELVURLSNQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731449314313},"type":"text","content":"Comedian Bill Maher asked: “Could you get more third-rail words into one sentence than sex-change operations, taxpayer-funded (and) in prison?”"},{"_id":"CTUM3UHC6FEUDG6DHECPIBZHBI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731449314314},"type":"text","content":"“That ad was devastating, devastating,” said DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond, a Democrat with 40 years of politics under his belt. “I don’t think we ever answered it. The ad was beyond the pale. But it hit home. It hurt.”"},{"_id":"P6MGITRSFNFORC2UV4SKRIABUE","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"_id":"BDIQ5QQU3BB5HG5T5MSQYGRBKE"},"type":"interstitial_link","content":"Here’s who’s joining the Trump administration","url":"https://www.ajc.com/politics/heres-whos-joining-the-trump-administration/Y5WSKNDRSFFR5EQNY5HVKBWZTE/"},{"_id":"RA3KUZFAVNBGNOGXGHHJCHYBAQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731449314315},"type":"text","content":"One could wonder if Harris could have just backed away from the issue when it arose. Must Democrats nod knowingly at every far-out issue pushed by fringe groups?"},{"owner":{"sponsored":false,"id":"ajc"},"address":{},"syndication":{},"auth":{"1":"476faa1ee60dbe709756b4ce3f6e193544eabc3374142a3160768e03fcb756fc"},"caption":"A frequently seen ad hammered Vice President Kamala Harris for supporting sex-change operations for prisoners.","source":{"system":"photo center","name":"AJC","edit_url":"","source_type":"staff","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"}},"taxonomy":{"associated_tasks":[]},"type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"8aec2b8c-455c-4816-903d-79fc8fdf8019"},"version":"0.10.9","url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/43TWBT4I7BCGHIEIB626B3OSOM.jpg","licensable":false,"credits":{"affiliation":[{"name":"Screen grab from ad","type":"author"}],"by":[{"name":"Screen grab from ad","type":"author","byline":"Screen grab from ad"}]},"subtitle":"Anti-Harris transgender ad","width":1280,"creditIPTC":"Screen grab from ad","_id":"43TWBT4I7BCGHIEIB626B3OSOM","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/6W11w3y3LVWF-SMeJqMMq7yQPnk=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/43TWBT4I7BCGHIEIB626B3OSOM.jpg","owner":"william.torpy@ajc.com","comments":[],"keywords":[],"proxyUrl":"/resizer/6W11w3y3LVWF-SMeJqMMq7yQPnk=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/43TWBT4I7BCGHIEIB626B3OSOM.jpg","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/43TWBT4I7BCGHIEIB626B3OSOM.jpg","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/6W11w3y3LVWF-SMeJqMMq7yQPnk=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/43TWBT4I7BCGHIEIB626B3OSOM.jpg","ingestionMethod":"manual","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/efxD2C2B5tfSl4almWn_LPHOo20=/300x0/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/43TWBT4I7BCGHIEIB626B3OSOM.jpg","version":0,"originalName":"kamala ad.jpg","mime_type":"image/jpeg","restricted":false,"template_id":594,"galleries":[],"_id":"NQRZ7OTJRBFJ3OKYC4SUDWRDLM"},"created_date":"2024-11-12T22:18:33Z","last_updated_date":"2024-11-12T22:18:33Z","height":716,"image_type":"photograph"},{"_id":"OPJCC2PLHBCBFJY55NJSWEOXNY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731449314316},"type":"text","content":"But Democrats fear the social media storms from the far-left’s true believers. So discussions go on and on about “toxic masculinity” and pronouns and men having babies, while large chunks of the population shake their heads and say “Nah.”"},{"_id":"46OZJJ7QMFHCVDS2LXCY4EBA3U","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731435842862},"type":"text","content":"Former Democratic Congresswoman Carolyn Bourdeaux told me backing away from public support of issues that are losers with moderate and working class voters “is harder than you think.”"},{"_id":"PQJOCKAYJBHHDI6AK3XSG6D64Q","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731449314318},"type":"text","content":"Many of the groups underpinning the Democratic Party are intertwined, she said, so if you answer one group’s questionnaire, you’re answering them all."},{"_id":"EFERNO7ZGVAJ3JCIL2C7SFZKSU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731449314319},"type":"text","content":"Candidates, she said, have to “toe the line or you’re a bad person,” Bourdeaux said. “If (candidates) don’t answer on all these issues, they won’t go out and knock on doors for you. ... So I can see why (Harris) she was in a box.”"},{"_id":"46OZJJ7QMFHCVDS2LXCY4EBA3U","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731435842862},"type":"text","content":"Bourdeaux is — or more correctly <i>was </i>— a unicorn, a white Democrat Congressperson in the South. And a moderate. She flipped a GOP Congressional seat in Gwinnett County in 2020, but got ousted two years later in a primary against fellow Dem Congresswoman Lucy McBath, who is Black, after GOP redistricting."},{"_id":"NVVBJ7FVMNGERMXSBTK5PU5N2U","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"_id":"K6MCJJYVRJHJFLOFW3JVUWSCPA"},"type":"interstitial_link","content":"As Georgia Democrats struggle with Trump’s comeback, some point fingers inward","url":"https://www.ajc.com/politics/as-georgia-democrats-struggle-with-trumps-comeback-some-point-fingers-inward/F3TC3YE3FZDKVI5CYNDRJXR2RQ/"},{"_id":"UWJPE6WS3BDGHIRQHX3OBJXPOA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731449314321},"type":"text","content":"“You need more diversity of thought on social issues,” said Bourdeaux, who has annoyed her party’s progressives by<a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/opinion/i-doubt-biden-can-win-georgia-without-a-miracle-in-2024/UQBS2NCHYNGVBM27MIHI5M4PTU/\" target=\"_blank\"> saying such things for a while. </a>“The Democrats have not been able to figure out their new coalition. Losing the working class is such a body blow to them.”"},{"_id":"YOA3XIT2VJAVPLHIGUUZS7DG74","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731449314322},"type":"text","content":"In the past year, I’ve noted that local events like <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/opinion/columnists/torpy-burning-stuff-is-cool-training-center-foes-tactics-heat-up/5DGMKVNUH5FKZMOMBSDW56NFFU/\" target=\"_blank\">the Stop Cop City vandalism</a> and protests at colleges — <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/opinion/columnists/opinion-chalk-this-up-emory-and-other-college-protests-help-trump/YKISMYW7RRBF7ECCYIN3YXB3BE/\" target=\"_blank\">like Emory — over the war in Gaza </a>would end up helping Trump."},{"owner":{"id":"ajc"},"copyright":"2024 Atlanta Journal-Constitution","address":{"locality":"Atlanta","region":"GA"},"auth":{"1":"debff0b8b8c97b3b1d134445548e06065f1cea8fce8ab6846c563dbcf3e8aa1e"},"caption":"Rep. Al Williams (center), D - Midway, shares a smile with other guests during Savannah-Chatham Day Legislative Oyster Roast at Georgia Freight Depot, Wednesday, January 31, 2024, in Atlanta. (Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com)","source":{"system":"AJC Freelancer","name":"AJC Freelancer","edit_url":"","source_type":"wires","source_id":"s3://ajc-arc-photo-integration/Freelancer/020124 SAVANNAH DAY HS01.jpg","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"}},"taxonomy":{"associated_tasks":["65b697521e3a95243c1a6159"],"seo_keywords":["AJC Freelancer"]},"type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"custom","name":"AJC Freelancer","category":"wires"},"version":"0.10.9","url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/3BXFZG2RWFA5EOZU7W5U6EXTMM.jpg","licensable":false,"credits":{"by":[{"name":"HYOSUB SHIN / AJC","type":"author"}]},"subtype":"Wires","subtitle":"Savannah Chatham Day","width":5200,"_id":"3BXFZG2RWFA5EOZU7W5U6EXTMM","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/EsUVLm33tQKumNILo2YjZRG8FqA=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/3BXFZG2RWFA5EOZU7W5U6EXTMM.jpg","iptc_source":"AJC","comments":[],"iptc_job_identifier":"65b697521e3a95243c1a6159","keywords":["lawmakers","AJC Freelancer","Savannah Chatham Day","Legislative","Oyster"],"proxyUrl":"/resizer/EsUVLm33tQKumNILo2YjZRG8FqA=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/3BXFZG2RWFA5EOZU7W5U6EXTMM.jpg","takenOn":"2024-02-01T16:34:18Z","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/3BXFZG2RWFA5EOZU7W5U6EXTMM.jpg","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/EsUVLm33tQKumNILo2YjZRG8FqA=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/3BXFZG2RWFA5EOZU7W5U6EXTMM.jpg","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/ocXRWaLyOSFjHQCgOoQ7zThQGag=/300x0/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/3BXFZG2RWFA5EOZU7W5U6EXTMM.jpg","version":2,"originalName":"s3://ajc-arc-photo-integration/Freelancer/020124 SAVANNAH DAY HS01.jpg","mime_type":"image/jpeg","restricted":false,"galleries":[{"headlines":{"basic":"PHOTOS: Savannah Chatham Day in Atlanta"},"_id":"AVAJHLJYTFF7JBUCGKGXKL7DGI"}],"_id":"AUKUYIBIUFC33L53YEAAA5MYG4","iptc_title":"staff"},"created_date":"2024-02-01T17:27:47Z","last_updated_date":"2024-02-02T03:54:32Z","slug":"020124 Savannah Chatham Day","height":3769},{"_id":"PCLP4EOUTZDUPKWPWQAXPN4OPQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731449314323},"type":"text","content":"I called longtime Democratic state Rep. Al Williams, who is Black and upset with the urbancentric direction of Georgia’s Democratic Party. He understands a vast majority of Dem votes come from the cities. But can’t a rural Dem get some love from the party elite?"},{"_id":"FTIJXDWODRGAHC7ZTYMH4MXRZE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731449314324},"type":"text","content":"“Urban folk cannot discuss rural issues,” he said, noting his district, Liberty County near Savannah, has a huge population of military veterans. “Two things we let the Republicans rob from us: They took Jesus and the military.”"},{"_id":"CCO5AN7WOBDM5DZX3PW3EX7SWI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731449314325},"type":"text","content":"“It’s a conservative strain down here,” Williams said. “You can’t just push folk away because they’re a bit more conservative than you.”"},{"_id":"DOSY6P3ZLVHMRNESFFMLAVV7GE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731435842845},"type":"text","content":"The question remains, do Democrats want to win elections? Or remain in a self-induced state of moral superiority?"},{"_id":"VV467RD6YBDEVE2PXPOQ45XDSQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731449314327},"type":"text","content":"They can keep arguing about these points while packing boxes as they leave office."}],"display_date":"2024-11-13T10:00:00Z","credits":{"by":[{"image":{"version":"0.5.8","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/e7ef0c5b-c33a-4581-8b37-6cbb7dcb343c.png"},"socialLinks":[{"site":"email","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"btorpy@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"https://twitter.com/billtorpy"}],"social_links":[{"site":"email","url":"btorpy@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","url":"https://twitter.com/billtorpy"}],"name":"Bill Torpy","description":"Bill Torpy, who writes about metro Atlanta for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, joined the newspaper in 1990.","_id":"bill-torpy","additional_properties":{"original":{"lastName":"Torpy","image":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/e7ef0c5b-c33a-4581-8b37-6cbb7dcb343c.png","role":"Columnist","education":[],"longBio":"Bill Torpy, who writes about metro Atlanta for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, joined the newspaper in 1990. He writes the metro column and has covered politics, government and countless stories about police, courts, the justice system and humanity in general. The Chicago native graduated from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Ill., and previously worked for the Daily Southtown in Chicago","org":"ajc","affiliations":"The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","bio":"Bill Torpy, who writes about metro Atlanta for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, joined the newspaper in 1990.","author_type":"Staff","type":"author","expertise":"7.16,10","firstName":"Bill","twitter":"https://twitter.com/billtorpy","books":[],"podcasts":[],"awards":[],"beat":"Metro columnist","custom_ajc_website":"ajc","_id":"bill-torpy","last_updated_date":"2023-06-12T22:45:24.641Z","bio_page":"/staff/bill-torpy/","byline":"Bill Torpy","email":"btorpy@ajc.com","status":true}},"type":"author","version":"0.5.8","url":"/staff/bill-torpy/"}]},"subtype":"Article","headlines":{"basic":"TORPY: Dems have lost the middle. And there’s not enough left to win"},"first_publish_date":"2024-11-13T10:00:04.516Z","taxonomy":{"primary_site":{"path":"/opinion/columnists","parent_id":"/opinion","name":"AJC Columnists","description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","_id":"/opinion/columnists","additional_properties":{"original":{"parent":{"AmpNav":"/opinion","default":"/opinion","MainMenu2024":"/opinion","BottomNav":null,"TopNavRedesign":null,"SectionMap":"/","MainMenuRedesign2021":null,"TopNav":null,"ComposerNav":"/opinion"},"site":{"section_comments_enabled":"Yes","site_description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","site_title":"AJC Columnists"},"navigation":{"nav_title":"AJC Columnists"},"inactive":false,"node_type":"section","name":"AJC Columnists","_id":"/opinion/columnists","ancestors":{"MainMenu2024":["/","/opinion"],"TopNavRedesign":[],"SectionMap":["/"],"MainMenuRedesign2021":[],"TopNav":[],"ComposerNav":["/opinion"]},"order":{"MainMenu2024":2002,"SectionMap":1073,"ComposerNav":2003}}},"type":"site","version":"0.5.8"},"sections":[{"path":"/opinion/columnists","parent":{"default":"/opinion"},"_website":"ajc","parent_id":"/opinion","name":"AJC Columnists","description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","_id":"/opinion/columnists","additional_properties":{"original":{"parent":{"AmpNav":"/opinion","default":"/opinion","MainMenu2024":"/opinion","BottomNav":null,"TopNavRedesign":null,"SectionMap":"/","MainMenuRedesign2021":null,"TopNav":null,"ComposerNav":"/opinion"},"site":{"section_comments_enabled":"Yes","site_description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","site_title":"AJC Columnists"},"navigation":{"nav_title":"AJC Columnists"},"inactive":false,"node_type":"section","_website":"ajc","name":"AJC Columnists","_id":"/opinion/columnists","ancestors":{"MainMenu2024":["/","/opinion"],"TopNavRedesign":[],"SectionMap":["/"],"MainMenuRedesign2021":[],"TopNav":[],"ComposerNav":["/opinion"]},"order":{"MainMenu2024":2002,"SectionMap":1073,"ComposerNav":2003}}},"_website_section_id":"ajc./opinion/columnists","type":"section","version":"0.6.0"}],"primary_section":{"path":"/opinion/columnists","name":"AJC Columnists"},"tags":[{"text":"torpy at large"},{"text":"atlanta-news-metro.ajc"},{"text":"torpy-rss"},{"text":"teamdan"},{"text":"localnews.ajc"},{"text":"local government"},{"text":"opt-test"}]},"label":{"tease_label":{"display":true,"text":"OPINION"},"custom_label":{"display":true,"text":"ONLY ON AJC: TORPY AT LARGE"}},"type":"story","last_updated_date":"2024-11-13T10:00:04.516Z","promo_items":{"basic":{"credits":{"affiliation":[{"name":"John Spink","type":"author"}],"by":[{"name":"John Spink","type":"author"}]},"width":3744,"caption":"Campaigners on the Martin Luther King Jr. Drive bridge over I-285 in Fulton County let their choice be known on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024 on Election Day. The state of Georgia was on track to break voter turnout records as presidential candidates, Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris, went head-to-head in this pivotal swing state. (John Spink/AJC)","type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"custom","name":"AJC Freelancer","category":"wires"},"url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/4Z6WKDYBW2P23J2S4MP4K6GLEU.jpg","height":2219}},"canonical_url":"/opinion/columnists/torpy-dems-have-lost-the-middle-and-theres-not-enough-left-to-win/2PK6ZE6STBHYXB5J7ICLUGTKQA/","_id":"2PK6ZE6STBHYXB5J7ICLUGTKQA"},{"content_elements":[{"_id":"NS7YL2VE7JGHRNKJEJI7FAENU4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731091815866},"type":"text","content":"The morning after the presidential election, Cynthia Neal Spence sat in a hotel room in Los Angeles feeling numb. She couldn’t fathom listening to political pundits and strategists analyze how Donald Trump became the next president-elect of the United States."},{"_id":"LKSSDEZHSRGEXOMPOEGCNXQNCA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731091815867},"type":"text","content":"“I am still almost speechless,” said the associate professor of Sociology at Spelman College, who was attending a professional conference last week. “I am severely disappointed in the lack of allegiance to a world and a nation that embraces diversity, equity, fairness and bodily autonomy.”"},{"_id":"COHWMQIJWBAEPH3XDZF6VNMDB4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731091815868},"type":"text","content":"Looking at the map of the U.S. and seeing a giant wave of red, Spence felt assured of one thing: The vision of the country that represents a true democracy is not stronger than the vision run by white male supremacist leadership."},{"_id":"OSBUFKDDOJGULNX5YX7F2O5G24","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731091815869},"type":"text","content":"“The same ideologies that caused people to go into the ballot booth and vote for policies supported by Trump are the same ideologies that sustained the institution of slavery, the Trail of Tears and Hitler and the Holocaust,” Spence said. “They are the same ideologies that prevented Blacks from voting and certain immigrants from coming into our country.”"},{"_id":"V6WV2R6N6BCDBIOT7UU5FVY5HY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731091815870},"type":"text","content":"For her, calls for the country to come together feel hollow when she views them as laced with vulgarity, misogyny and hate. “A lot of the wins and advocacy that Black women have fought for have benefited (everyone),” Spence said, “but we can’t count on anybody but ourselves.”"},{"_id":"SXVVL2R3ANDDJMVF4HNZ46NVNQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731091815871},"type":"text","content":"In that 24-hour postelection window, all she could do was focus her attention on HGTV and prepare for the day ahead."},{"_id":"7EHZO35XKNFPJGCTNW3X4JNQLY","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"_id":"GMMJC3TEZRH7LMGQXDFE25JBAU"},"type":"interstitial_link","content":"RHONE: Cure for postelection anxiety? Learn to live with uncertainty","url":"https://www.ajc.com/opinion/columnists/opinion-the-cure-for-post-election-anxiety-in-georgia-embrace-uncertainty/UM4Q4ZGPNNFHJEJUWJQ6IYO2JY/"},{"_id":"HW4RKGPXZRH2HCCGFKICTVPWYY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731091815872},"type":"text","content":"In phone calls and text messages with friends, and in posts on social media, I have heard similar sentiments from women — and Black women in particular — who feel they are living in a country that is hostile to their existence."},{"_id":"XVFUB534HJEFBMY7YGFKXNNZEE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731091815873},"type":"text","content":"Once again, we are tired."},{"_id":"QCTNGXXRHFFEZOZKYQO5F27EPA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731091815874},"type":"text","content":"We are tired of championing the rights of all vulnerable people when half the country doesn’t seem to care much about us. We are tired of trying to understand the thinking of people who vote against their own interests. We are tired of soothing the pain and upset of others before we attend to our feelings of hurt."},{"_id":"BNT55MTQLZH55MD7SJEUFCYN4I","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731091815875},"type":"text","content":"It is even more tiring that we are not given the grace to feel these feelings. Our reaction to the denial of women’s rights and Black people’s humanity is met with the idea that we, somehow, are the problem."},{"_id":"3ST37LPWHNGK3ONFHKXZ5UXBIA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731091815876},"type":"text","content":"We are branded angry or unpatriotic but hear me on this: I can love all of the opportunities my country has afforded me while also being deeply disappointed in the ways that it continues to empower people who devalue me and my existence as a woman and a Black American."},{"_id":"TCX27RTLXNGZJFMNPQ4UANKDX4","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"_id":"LMZWFZWWTBB6XGYKYUWBGUOIRE"},"type":"interstitial_link","content":"Report says education miles away from equity. Will Trump make it longer?","url":"https://www.ajc.com/education/get-schooled/report-says-education-miles-away-from-equity-will-trump-make-it-longer/D4L6BH2VAVDPBAMTGDP5CES6GQ/"},{"_id":"RVIUAY2UOZEAHJVNBRMMUSDYO4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731091815877},"type":"text","content":"We are clear-eyed now on how unwilling this country is as a whole to elect a woman president, and, for certain, a Black woman president."},{"_id":"YD2XCDS4RREFJDKRN557XPNUYI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731091815878},"type":"text","content":"In 2020, we thought it was Joe Biden’s leadership and an ideological shift that were flipping states from red to blue. But the results of this election are similar to 2016, when Hillary Rodham Clinton lost. "},{"_id":"FBYZ7VWSEVCMNBUQ4JGGR6J5H4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[]},"type":"text","content":"Both Clinton and Kamala Harris failed to win swing states that Biden won in 2020. This is, at least in part, a reflection of the sexism and racism that have prevented us from elevating a woman to the nation’s highest office."},{"_id":"GQHSXMHROFDD3GNADDXMJDVMMM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731091815879},"type":"text","content":"In 2016, a multiage, multiracial coalition of women hit the streets with pink hats and protest signs believing that together we could stomp the patriarchy even if other women believed things were just fine the way they were. This time around, white women are ordering blue bracelets by the thousands to distance themselves from those 53% of women who voted for Trump."},{"_id":"ZE5B3LRDCBGM7IY4YYKIV66SJQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731091815880},"type":"text","content":"So here we are now. Most Black women, some white women and slightly more Latinas are still trying to convince a majority of America that we deserve more than second-class citizenship."},{"_id":"V2HRBE5E7JDDLOBS5WV3NAMZAA","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"_id":"HDPPTYQLEJFBTIBOKI3SI6WGYA"},"type":"interstitial_link","content":"RHONE: Is America ready to vote a woman into the White House?","url":"https://www.ajc.com/opinion/opinion-is-america-ready-to-vote-a-woman-into-the-white-house/A7XPFVNRPNCFVE6RE3DWXWJJ6U/"},{"_id":"27EOQOMFSZHG5BLGTCUFGNJHJM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[{"pos":91,"comment":"IA"}],"comments":[],"_id":1731091815881},"type":"text","content":"I am concerned for women, racial minorities, people with disabilities, members of the LGBTQ+ community and any other vulnerable population that fears for their future. In Trump, they see a leader who has openly shared his disdain and disrespect for them, who is attempting to orchestrate the rollback of 50 years of freedom and who has given anyone with misogynist and racist leanings a moment to preen."},{"_id":"YE4N3F6GGFHHRLAAHLBKLO4YFY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731328905915},"type":"text","content":"In the aftermath of the election, women and Black people began receiving messages on social media platforms, either from bots or actual people, containing derogatory comments about women and bodily autonomy, threats of sexual assault or jokes about enslavement."},{"_id":"B64RR7QOG5H2NIBP3KDWD2TWVE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731091815882},"type":"text","content":"Like Spence, I have given myself permission to rest. I have given physical and virtual hugs to the people in my community who are living the morals on which we say this country was founded and who can return the love and care that I give to them."},{"_id":"6BU3MBBZKFGCPE4YUVVFH44MKQ","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"_id":"LGEZLVUKYRD57OQ74UBGGB25SQ"},"type":"interstitial_link","content":"Opinion: Did white women choose race over gender?","url":"https://www.ajc.com/opinion/opinion-did-white-women-choose-race-over-gender/5O3KYX4QEBAPLH4OXT5GAIJMOE/"},{"_id":"MPXFWL5XJ5HJ3L4MJ55IO2UYAM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731091815883},"type":"text","content":"If there is a source of light right now, it is among the younger generations who are also hurting but not as tired and world weary as I find myself to be."},{"_id":"OJAZED5TC5C7PFJVRLL4RSY2OQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731091815884},"type":"text","content":"Last week, Simone Moales, 22, a graduating senior at Spelman College, was in tears, disappointed by the outcome of the election and the knowledge of what it meant on a deeper level."},{"_id":"UWL4F3KIABHSFFKS5HGPW2FOZU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731091815885},"type":"text","content":"Moales, a political science major, believed that this election was also a vote to uphold white supremacy. For some Americans, wealth and racial hierarchy are more important than reaching the true promise of America even if they would be living under a dictatorship, she said."},{"_id":"EYCXGYDBMJDQVKRRH3S3SOWRXU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731091815886},"type":"text","content":"But after listening to Harris concede, Moales said she wiped her tears and encouraged everyone to tune in for inspiration."},{"_id":"KK3YYNWKDNAA3NY7PUR3QHOQGI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731091815887},"type":"text","content":"“She conceded the election but she did not concede the fight, and that is the momentum that I want to drive us forward,” Moales said."},{"_id":"57PANNECWNFMRJZZ7RH2BDSMAU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731091815888},"type":"text","content":"Perhaps moving forward means shifting how Black women advocate over the next four years, Moales said, learning how to work for ourselves before we continue working for the body politic."},{"_id":"KTKUH32VAZFX7KSLLL7PKYXMKM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731328905923},"type":"text","content":"“I know there is something greater that lies ahead if we continue to fight for our fundamental freedoms,” she said."},{"_id":"54KHN4JHIZEVNK2AVDMQL5LUBM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731091815889},"type":"text","content":"I know at some point, Spence will turn off HGTV and turn back to the news."},{"_id":"5CZ2ELNGLZDTVKO5ZGMDJZF4F4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731091815890},"type":"text","content":"I know that over the next four years, we will collectively pack up our disappointment and keep it moving. But for now we will rest, until we are ready to fight again."},{"_id":"4CEPMNHT3ZBBHOOFBCWCWE3EZM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731083181035},"type":"text","content":"<i>Read more on the Real Life blog (</i><a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/opinion/real-life-blog/\"><i>www.ajc.com/opinion/real-life-blog/</i></a><i>) and find Nedra on Facebook (</i><a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/AJCRealLifeColumn\"><i>www.facebook.com/AJCRealLifeColumn</i></a><i>) and X (</i><a href=\"https://twitter.com/nrhoneajc\"><i>@nrhoneajc</i></a><i>) or email her at </i><a href=\"mailto:Nedra.Rhone@ajc.com\"><i>nedra.rhone@ajc.com</i></a><i>.</i>"}],"display_date":"2024-11-11T13:45:26.173Z","credits":{"by":[{"image":{"version":"0.5.8","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/98f2f50c-d4da-49ae-9bde-27e4311ab5ad.png"},"socialLinks":[{"site":"email","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"nedra.rhone@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"https://twitter.com/nrhoneajc"}],"social_links":[{"site":"email","url":"nedra.rhone@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","url":"https://twitter.com/nrhoneajc"}],"name":"Nedra Rhone","description":"Nedra Rhone is a lifestyle columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution where she has been a reporter since 2006. A graduate of Columbia University School of Journalism, she enjoys writing about the people, places and events that define metro Atlanta.","_id":"nedra-rhone","additional_properties":{"original":{"lastName":"Rhone","image":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/98f2f50c-d4da-49ae-9bde-27e4311ab5ad.png","role":"Lifestyle Columnist","education":[{"name":"University of Pennsylvania, Bachelor's degree in Economics"},{"name":"Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism"}],"longBio":"Nedra Rhone is a lifestyle columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution where she has been a reporter since 2006. A graduate of Columbia University School of Journalism, she enjoys writing about the people, places and events that define metro Atlanta. She has written about style, entertainment, personal finance and the environment for the AJC. Previously, Rhone was a staff writer at Newsday where her first assignment was covering the devastating impact of 9/11 on the families and communities of Long Island. She later covered K-12 education for Long Island's 125 school districts and is a Pulitzer Prize finalist for her reporting on women in hip-hop. ","org":"ajc","affiliations":"The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","bio":"Nedra Rhone is a lifestyle columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution where she has been a reporter since 2006. A graduate of Columbia University School of Journalism, she enjoys writing about the people, places and events that define metro Atlanta.","expertise":"2,7,16","author_type":"Staff","firstName":"Nedra","twitter":"https://twitter.com/nrhoneajc","books":[],"podcasts":[],"awards":[],"custom_ajc_phone":"404-526-5465","custom_ajc_website":"ajc","_id":"nedra-rhone","last_updated_date":"2024-08-01T19:40:05.320Z","byline":"Nedra Rhone","email":"nedra.rhone@ajc.com","status":true}},"type":"author","version":"0.5.8"}]},"subtype":"Article","headlines":{"basic":"RHONE: Kamala Harris loss showed women the underbelly of America"},"first_publish_date":"2024-11-11T13:45:26.173Z","taxonomy":{"primary_site":{"path":"/opinion/columnists","parent_id":"/opinion","name":"AJC Columnists","description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","_id":"/opinion/columnists","additional_properties":{"original":{"parent":{"AmpNav":"/opinion","default":"/opinion","MainMenu2024":"/opinion","BottomNav":null,"TopNavRedesign":null,"SectionMap":"/","MainMenuRedesign2021":null,"TopNav":null,"ComposerNav":"/opinion"},"site":{"section_comments_enabled":"Yes","site_description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","site_title":"AJC Columnists"},"navigation":{"nav_title":"AJC Columnists"},"inactive":false,"node_type":"section","name":"AJC Columnists","_id":"/opinion/columnists","ancestors":{"MainMenu2024":["/","/opinion"],"TopNavRedesign":[],"SectionMap":["/"],"MainMenuRedesign2021":[],"TopNav":[],"ComposerNav":["/opinion"]},"order":{"MainMenu2024":2002,"SectionMap":1073,"ComposerNav":2003}}},"type":"site","version":"0.5.8"},"sections":[{"path":"/opinion/columnists","parent":{"default":"/opinion"},"_website":"ajc","parent_id":"/opinion","name":"AJC Columnists","description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","_id":"/opinion/columnists","additional_properties":{"original":{"parent":{"AmpNav":"/opinion","default":"/opinion","MainMenu2024":"/opinion","BottomNav":null,"TopNavRedesign":null,"SectionMap":"/","MainMenuRedesign2021":null,"TopNav":null,"ComposerNav":"/opinion"},"site":{"section_comments_enabled":"Yes","site_description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","site_title":"AJC Columnists"},"navigation":{"nav_title":"AJC Columnists"},"inactive":false,"node_type":"section","_website":"ajc","name":"AJC Columnists","_id":"/opinion/columnists","ancestors":{"MainMenu2024":["/","/opinion"],"TopNavRedesign":[],"SectionMap":["/"],"MainMenuRedesign2021":[],"TopNav":[],"ComposerNav":["/opinion"]},"order":{"MainMenu2024":2002,"SectionMap":1073,"ComposerNav":2003}}},"_website_section_id":"ajc./opinion/columnists","type":"section","version":"0.6.0"},{"path":"/opinion","parent":{"default":"/"},"_website":"ajc","parent_id":"/","name":"Opinion","description":"Opinion articles from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{"sponsor":{"sponsor_url_open_new_tab":"false","sponsor_desktop_banner":"","sponsor_mobile_banner":"","sponsor_url":""},"parent":{"AmpNav":"/","subnav_opinion":null,"TopicsBar2023":"/","BottomNav":null,"TopNavRedesign":null,"SectionMap":"/","TopNav":null,"TopicsBar":null,"ComposerNav":"/","subnav_homepage":null,"default":"/","MainMenu2024":"/","MainMenuRedesign2021":null},"site":{"site_url":"/opinion/","section_comments_enabled":"Yes","site_description":"Opinion articles from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","site_title":"Opinion"},"navigation":{"nav_title":"Opinion"},"inactive":false,"node_type":"section","_website":"ajc","name":"Opinion","_id":"/opinion","ancestors":{"subnav_opinion":[],"TopicsBar2023":["/"],"MainMenu2024":["/"],"TopNavRedesign":[],"SectionMap":["/"],"MainMenuRedesign2021":[],"TopNav":[],"TopicsBar":[],"ComposerNav":["/"],"subnav_homepage":[]},"order":{"AmpNav":1033,"TopicsBar2023":1008,"default":1083,"MainMenu2024":1009,"SectionMap":1092,"ComposerNav":1011}}},"_website_section_id":"ajc./opinion","type":"section","version":"0.6.0"}],"primary_section":{"path":"/opinion/columnists","name":"AJC Columnists"},"tags":[{"text":"lifestyle"},{"text":"atlanta-news-metro.ajc"},{"text":"real life blog"},{"text":"teamdan"},{"text":"UATL"},{"text":"opinion"},{"text":"localnews.ajc"},{"text":"local government"},{"text":"opt-test"}]},"label":{"tease_label":{"display":true,"text":"OPINION"},"custom_label":{"display":true,"text":"Real Life with Nedra Rhone"}},"type":"story","last_updated_date":"2024-11-12T15:14:32.009Z","promo_items":{"basic":{"credits":{"affiliation":[{"name":"Ben Gray for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution","type":"author"}],"by":[{"name":"Ben Gray","type":"author"}]},"width":4000,"caption":"Simone Moales, a senior at Spelman College, sits in the African American Hall of Fame and talk about their feelings the morning after Kamala Harris didn’t win the presidential election. Ben Gray for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution","type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"custom","name":"AJC Freelancer","category":"wires"},"url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/CKRNDWM6DNFZ3NE6IXO6OZXT4I.JPG","height":2667}},"canonical_url":"/opinion/columnists/opinion-harris-loss-showed-women-the-underbelly-of-america/TSOWNBZRB5DAZOI4M2LTBBFYDY/","_id":"TSOWNBZRB5DAZOI4M2LTBBFYDY"},{"content_elements":[{"_id":"PK6TFEMU4NCOZFOBYUWVBDLR7Y","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730909917022},"type":"text","content":"Before last Tuesday, there was all sorts of Democratic Party angst and outrage over GOP efforts to steal the presidential election in Georgia."},{"_id":"ET6NNJF2QRHCDKYXEFGAOHXR7U","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730986699884},"type":"text","content":"There was <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/opinion/columnists/opinion-the-drive-to-hijack-georgia-elections-part-of-ongoing-gop-plan/2HMXM5KCT5GRTN36DRXOXUVLQA/\" target=\"_blank\">State Election Board</a> trickeration,<a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/election/federal-judge-blasts-gop-attorneys-for-factually-and-legally-incorrect-lawsuit/GLSG2UVUINE2JAVOVLNHUCXMVQ/\" target=\"_blank\"> lawsuits </a>and endless<a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/opinion/columnists/opinion-election-deniers-murky-balderdash-comes-clear-under-oath/3E35KLIILNALBCY2UJQ2OVHKBU/\" target=\"_blank\"> accusations of fraud</a>. But all the while, the Republicans’ secret plan was to do it the old-fashioned way: Get more votes."},{"_id":"XXAJEIGJHZEJZIXQVKERI7G5IA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730986699885},"type":"text","content":"Granted, their guy is a nasty sort, given to fear-mongering and serial prevarication. So, one overarching plan was to remind voters what a louse he is and they would be swayed. Right? After all, Georgia, a swing state, famously helped evict Donald Trump from the White House in 2020."},{"_id":"3D567QKSLRHHFJ3C256MUYYOZI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731007386936},"type":"text","content":"Just days before this election, there were signs that momentum was breaking Kamala Harris’ way. A poll showed she was leading by 6 points in Iowa, a state previously out of reach for Dems. And Trump had been acting unusually squirrelly (even for him) on the trail, a sure sign he knew he was done."},{"_id":"YMAEHVJ4KFHSHNEJFJCKQGMRII","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731007386937},"type":"text","content":"Then came Election Day."},{"_id":"HPVQHS6ESBEB7K6EQVTFQMT7WI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731007386938},"type":"text","content":"In retrospect, the “signs” of Democratic victory were just whistling past the graveyard."},{"_id":"J4LVTELU5NCTTPVV7C42AONDOY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731007386939},"type":"text","content":"Trump’s victory wasn’t a “landslide” in historical terms. But it <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/inside-donald-trumps-comeback-victory-in-georgia/GWR4UGRABZF6TDOAX6SGS3QMVE/\" target=\"_blank\">was solid and complete.</a> He won all seven swing states — six that were won by Joe Biden — with margins ranging from .9% (Wisconsin) to 5.5% (Arizona). The seven wins came from a total margin of about 750,000 votes, not a lot in a nation that cast 140 million votes. But enough to cement a victory."},{"owner":{"id":"ajc"},"copyright":"Miami Herald Staff","address":{"locality":"West Palm Beach","region":"FL"},"auth":{"1":"4e12e3dafbee521148745e799c09302277f0cd6857b8135a5b3a907614e473ec"},"caption":"A crowd of supporters reacts after Fox News announced Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump as the winner of his presidential race against Kamala Harris during his election night party at the Palm Beach County Convention Center on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Matias J. Ocner/Miami Herald/TNS)","source":{"system":"McClatchy Tribune","name":"McClatchy Tribune","edit_url":"","source_type":"wires","source_id":"s3://ajc-arc-photo-integration/MCT/20241107-AMX-US-NEWS-ELN-TRUMP-PARTY-3-MI.jpg","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"}},"taxonomy":{"tags":[{"description":"McClatchy Tribune","text":"McClatchy Tribune","slug":"McClatchy-Tribune"}]},"type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"custom","name":"McClatchy Tribune","category":"wires"},"version":"0.10.9","url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/UKQGQJ64KJA7TY254MN7DYL5HY.jpg","licensable":false,"credits":{"affiliation":[{"name":"TNS","type":"author"}],"by":[{"name":"MATIAS J. 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She said Georgians are either R or D and that not many are independents. So it’s a numbers game of getting them out."},{"_id":"K5DDZU7VXBBK7CIFZQXL6GU43M","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731007386943},"type":"text","content":"But, she added, “We were fighting the couch; a lot of our voters simply stayed home.”"},{"_id":"D52DJCMUOVDA7BWCQPFTMPQOTI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731007386944},"type":"text","content":"Apparently, Democrats have comfier couches. Or at least, Harris wasn’t compelling enough to get them to stand up, dust the crumbs from their laps and get to the polls."},{"_id":"U2UZ4FOOKBEKPCOX7BWQI4FUTI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731007386945},"type":"text","content":"“Georgia’s not a blue state or a red state, it’s a periwinkle state, y’all, and now we have more work to do,” Williams said."},{"_id":"KEXIAKW2NVDXBHNP4ZFNQW4FGE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731007386946},"type":"text","content":"<a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/opinion/columnists/opinion-color-georgia-crimson-or-at-least-tickle-me-pink/2HBNXJ2SBFCLJB3VESZLGBXGZY/\" target=\"_blank\">I have debated just how “periwinkle”</a> Georgia is with my <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/inside-the-making-of-greg-bluesteins-book-flipped/Z7QJFN5LRFFFVHIC5OZ7I2USZI/\" target=\"_blank\">AJC bud, Greg Bluestein</a>, author of “Flipped: How Georgia Turned Purple and Broke the Monopoly on Republican Power,” a tome about the 2020 election."},{"owner":{"sponsored":false,"id":"ajc"},"copyright":"2024 Atlanta Journal Constitution","address":{"region":"Georgia"},"auth":{"1":"2fa3ca5d41f0d3af9725825cefa3c4710cfd25f99b7c2927d697035bbbdb5b93"},"caption":"Georgia delegates, including Sen. Raphael Warnock, second from left, U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams, and U.S. Rep Sanford D. Bishop, officially nominate Kamala Harris as the Democratic presidential candidate during the roll call of the states on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024, at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)","source":{"system":"photo center","name":"AJC","edit_url":"","source_type":"staff","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"}},"taxonomy":{"associated_tasks":["66c4a35682d3143868268a53"]},"type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"8aec2b8c-455c-4816-903d-79fc8fdf8019"},"version":"0.10.9","url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/I73FPCHMEND5XDCK5Q7XYJSRKY.JPG","geo":{},"licensable":false,"credits":{"affiliation":[{"name":"Arvin Temkar/AJC","type":"author"}],"by":[{"name":"Arvin Temkar","type":"author","byline":"Arvin Temkar"}]},"subtitle":"the second of the Democratic National Convention.","width":2400,"_id":"I73FPCHMEND5XDCK5Q7XYJSRKY","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/MvAf-drf-iIIj1sa1avA54gwUHY=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/I73FPCHMEND5XDCK5Q7XYJSRKY.JPG","owner":"steve.schaefer@ajc.com","iptc_source":"The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","comments":[],"iptc_job_identifier":"66c4a35682d3143868268a53","keywords":["2024","aug. 20","in chicago on tuesday","the second of the democratic national convention. (arvin temkar/the atlanta journal-constitution)"],"proxyUrl":"/resizer/MvAf-drf-iIIj1sa1avA54gwUHY=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/I73FPCHMEND5XDCK5Q7XYJSRKY.JPG","takenOn":"2024-08-21T06:05:50Z","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/I73FPCHMEND5XDCK5Q7XYJSRKY.JPG","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/MvAf-drf-iIIj1sa1avA54gwUHY=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/I73FPCHMEND5XDCK5Q7XYJSRKY.JPG","ingestionMethod":"manual","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/78HDM1skjBpxuR9hXVLaSRbbvG8=/300x0/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/I73FPCHMEND5XDCK5Q7XYJSRKY.JPG","version":1,"originalName":"arvin. 09.JPG","mime_type":"image/jpeg","restricted":false,"template_id":594,"galleries":[{"headlines":{"basic":"PHOTOS: The second day of the Democratic National Convention"},"_id":"MW4DE5CIDBA77B3EYHYIVUN5OE"}],"_id":"FJG272LMVNFYLCWXA7EO54EPRQ","iptc_title":"MBR"},"created_date":"2024-08-21T00:46:26Z","last_updated_date":"2024-08-21T08:31:29Z","slug":"aajc 082124 dnc day 2 photos","height":1600,"image_type":"photograph"},{"_id":"JXV3M5RWG5FUFCAKPI7YVH7ZKQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731007386947},"type":"text","content":"The book is about Joe Biden narrowly beating Trump and then, two months later in a runoff election, Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock defeating two incumbent Georgia senators, um, <i>Flipping </i>the U.S. Senate<i>.</i>"},{"_id":"CXUYHQKH5BHHHPLFJQ4UGVMUNM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731007386948},"type":"text","content":"In 2022, Bluey’s treatise seemed to be confirmed when Warnock defeated Herschel Walker, a revered running back but a hot mess as a candidate. He was perhaps the only Republican in Georgia that Warnock could have beaten that year."},{"_id":"DRPKII3NMRDEJCEEOLAVIHNXLM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731007386949},"type":"text","content":"Aside from those examples, Democrats running for statewide posts in Georgia have largely gotten trounced since at least 2008."},{"_id":"J55DOMNSNBA6DPZSMPAYHMGREM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731007386950},"type":"text","content":"In 2020, Trump was a damaged candidate reeling from — among other things — the pandemic. And then his lies and pouting after his narrow defeat helped Ossoff and Warnock sneak in during the runoff."},{"_id":"L6IU6IFPIBETZMHDLNGOM4QREQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731007386951},"type":"text","content":"In fact, statewide Democratic candidates in 2022 lost by an average of more than 6%."},{"_id":"3UHVKWWRNBDN7JONBR5SI227I4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731007386952},"type":"text","content":"In retrospect, those Democratic victories appear to be aberrations."},{"_id":"F7B2LEUSENGN5LF3ZEAQLHC4AU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731007386953},"type":"text","content":"Interestingly, in comments similar to those from last week, Congresswoman Williams told me after the 2022 election: “We have a serious turnout problem in the Democratic Party. You have to turn out voters. We haven’t done that.”"},{"_id":"PVUYPJYUWRB2VHPOS667G5DJOA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731007386954},"type":"text","content":"Well, it wasn’t for a lack of trying this time around."},{"_id":"KBJPFUZJKVCLDLGEBRELP2GPUM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730986699897},"type":"text","content":"A recent Associated Press story said the Harris campaign had more than 40,000 volunteers and 220 staffers working across Georgia, knocking on more than a million doors and doubling that in phone calls."},{"_id":"PSKFEJZDRFCNLLNC32RCDCY5G4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731007386956},"type":"text","content":"As to Democratic turnout, Georgia wasn’t bad this time. Harris got about 66,000 more votes than Biden received. However, Trump added 195,000 votes to his 2020 total."},{"_id":"XXGY777GIFCWBFN7RW4G3DCZLU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731007386957},"type":"text","content":"By comparison, Harris got less votes in the “Blue Wall” states of Michigan and Pennsylvania than Biden did and got just 37,000 more this time in Wisconsin. (The two candidates <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/presidential-campaign-in-georgia-expect-a-rush-in-political-ad-spending-in-the-final-sprint-to-the-election/XMLAQF73NZCJPFEVRVIJUXYWJY/\" target=\"_blank\">carpet-bombed Georgia’s airwaves with ads </a>compared to last time around.)"},{"owner":{"sponsored":false,"id":"ajc"},"copyright":"Cox Enterprises","address":{"street_address":"Liberty Plaza near the Georgia S","locality":"Atlanta","region":"GA"},"auth":{"1":"79e6ff6e040cab5907a4628a6bebcc33932ea24e633ea2b2a56afbc6bcf71ec3"},"caption":"DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond speaks in support of Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign during a press conference at Liberty Plaza near the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. (Seeger Gray / AJC)","source":{"system":"AJC Freelancer","name":"AJC Freelancer","edit_url":"","source_type":"wires","source_id":"s3://ajc-arc-photo-integration/Freelancer/072424 harris campaign presser sg 04.jpg","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"}},"taxonomy":{"associated_tasks":["66a0780aa015101dc03254cd"],"seo_keywords":["AJC Freelancer"]},"type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"custom","name":"AJC Freelancer","category":"wires"},"version":"0.10.9","url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/3VKITT6JLHOLRLTQQQHICBJ3GY.jpg","geo":{},"licensable":false,"credits":{"affiliation":[{"name":"Seeger Gray/AJC","type":"author"}],"by":[{"name":"Seeger Gray / AJC","type":"author"}]},"subtype":"Wires","subtitle":"Harris campaign press conference","width":4835,"_id":"3VKITT6JLHOLRLTQQQHICBJ3GY","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/Ab5JX2TQUg_kDrv6IhwOCda4lWY=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/3VKITT6JLHOLRLTQQQHICBJ3GY.jpg","iptc_source":"Atlanta Journal-Constitution","comments":[],"iptc_job_identifier":"66a0780aa015101dc03254cd","keywords":["campaign","candidate","election","president","vice president","AJC Freelancer","Kamala Harris","Project 2025"],"proxyUrl":"/resizer/Ab5JX2TQUg_kDrv6IhwOCda4lWY=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/3VKITT6JLHOLRLTQQQHICBJ3GY.jpg","takenOn":"2024-07-24T21:18:52Z","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/3VKITT6JLHOLRLTQQQHICBJ3GY.jpg","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/Ab5JX2TQUg_kDrv6IhwOCda4lWY=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/3VKITT6JLHOLRLTQQQHICBJ3GY.jpg","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/Nzzbek3jWdh3JpBkrq72dHU7N2U=/300x0/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/3VKITT6JLHOLRLTQQQHICBJ3GY.jpg","version":3,"originalName":"s3://ajc-arc-photo-integration/Freelancer/072424 harris campaign presser sg 04.jpg","mime_type":"image/jpeg","restricted":false,"galleries":[],"_id":"XC24LYK4XZBFPDBC55DHAVNKHE","iptc_title":"multimedia journalist"},"created_date":"2024-07-24T17:18:25Z","last_updated_date":"2024-10-29T08:48:19Z","slug":"072424 harris campaign presser sg","height":3259,"image_type":"photograph"},{"_id":"K66MW4S5WBCO7POWJQLL6ZX3NQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731007386958},"type":"text","content":"DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond, who in 2006 as Labor Commissioner was one of the last Dems to win statewide, noted that “Trump’s supporters were obviously more motivated. You have to provide a rationale for voters to turn out and need to appeal to broader swath of voters.”"},{"_id":"TFTXP5KCUNDAJD5AI6RTOAMVBM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731007386959},"type":"text","content":"Despite all of Trump’s flaws, “if there’s high inflation, voters historically punish the incumbent party,” Thurmond said."},{"_id":"BAGPFBY7HREWDB5MAQUIXB2CWY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731007386960},"type":"text","content":"In that stead, Democratic state Rep. Scott Holcomb said Trump’s pending incumbency might create a silver lining to the incredibly dark clouds hovering over the Georgia political landscape."},{"_id":"CGO2YGCWHVE2XCS6WASMASAFME","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731007386961},"type":"text","content":"He noted Ossoff will be up for re-election during the 2026 midterms, which historically don’t bode well for the party in office."},{"_id":"U4R2H5SZXVDWTFTAFSBZDB7WXA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731007386962},"type":"text","content":"“I would not be surprised if that’s a good year,” Holcomb said."},{"_id":"BCMCI5U2QBDFVCVPCZQK3SZJHQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1731007386963},"type":"text","content":"If you’re a Democrat in Georgia, you’ve got to take your small victories where you can."}],"display_date":"2024-11-08T10:00:00Z","credits":{"by":[{"image":{"version":"0.5.8","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/e7ef0c5b-c33a-4581-8b37-6cbb7dcb343c.png"},"socialLinks":[{"site":"email","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"btorpy@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"https://twitter.com/billtorpy"}],"social_links":[{"site":"email","url":"btorpy@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","url":"https://twitter.com/billtorpy"}],"name":"Bill Torpy","description":"Bill Torpy, who writes about metro Atlanta for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, joined the newspaper in 1990.","_id":"bill-torpy","additional_properties":{"original":{"lastName":"Torpy","image":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/e7ef0c5b-c33a-4581-8b37-6cbb7dcb343c.png","role":"Columnist","education":[],"longBio":"Bill Torpy, who writes about metro Atlanta for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, joined the newspaper in 1990. He writes the metro column and has covered politics, government and countless stories about police, courts, the justice system and humanity in general. The Chicago native graduated from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Ill., and previously worked for the Daily Southtown in Chicago","org":"ajc","affiliations":"The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","bio":"Bill Torpy, who writes about metro Atlanta for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, joined the newspaper in 1990.","author_type":"Staff","type":"author","expertise":"7.16,10","firstName":"Bill","twitter":"https://twitter.com/billtorpy","books":[],"podcasts":[],"awards":[],"beat":"Metro columnist","custom_ajc_website":"ajc","_id":"bill-torpy","last_updated_date":"2023-06-12T22:45:24.641Z","bio_page":"/staff/bill-torpy/","byline":"Bill Torpy","email":"btorpy@ajc.com","status":true}},"type":"author","version":"0.5.8","url":"/staff/bill-torpy/"}]},"subtype":"Article","headlines":{"basic":"TORPY: Georgia’s Democrats still not quite ready for prime time"},"first_publish_date":"2024-11-08T10:00:02.988Z","taxonomy":{"primary_site":{"path":"/opinion/columnists","parent_id":"/opinion","name":"AJC Columnists","description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","_id":"/opinion/columnists","additional_properties":{"original":{"parent":{"AmpNav":"/opinion","default":"/opinion","MainMenu2024":"/opinion","BottomNav":null,"TopNavRedesign":null,"SectionMap":"/","MainMenuRedesign2021":null,"TopNav":null,"ComposerNav":"/opinion"},"site":{"section_comments_enabled":"Yes","site_description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","site_title":"AJC Columnists"},"navigation":{"nav_title":"AJC Columnists"},"inactive":false,"node_type":"section","name":"AJC Columnists","_id":"/opinion/columnists","ancestors":{"MainMenu2024":["/","/opinion"],"TopNavRedesign":[],"SectionMap":["/"],"MainMenuRedesign2021":[],"TopNav":[],"ComposerNav":["/opinion"]},"order":{"MainMenu2024":2002,"SectionMap":1073,"ComposerNav":2003}}},"type":"site","version":"0.5.8"},"sections":[{"path":"/opinion/columnists","parent":{"default":"/opinion"},"_website":"ajc","parent_id":"/opinion","name":"AJC Columnists","description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","_id":"/opinion/columnists","additional_properties":{"original":{"parent":{"AmpNav":"/opinion","default":"/opinion","MainMenu2024":"/opinion","BottomNav":null,"TopNavRedesign":null,"SectionMap":"/","MainMenuRedesign2021":null,"TopNav":null,"ComposerNav":"/opinion"},"site":{"section_comments_enabled":"Yes","site_description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","site_title":"AJC Columnists"},"navigation":{"nav_title":"AJC Columnists"},"inactive":false,"node_type":"section","_website":"ajc","name":"AJC Columnists","_id":"/opinion/columnists","ancestors":{"MainMenu2024":["/","/opinion"],"TopNavRedesign":[],"SectionMap":["/"],"MainMenuRedesign2021":[],"TopNav":[],"ComposerNav":["/opinion"]},"order":{"MainMenu2024":2002,"SectionMap":1073,"ComposerNav":2003}}},"_website_section_id":"ajc./opinion/columnists","type":"section","version":"0.6.0"}],"primary_section":{"path":"/opinion/columnists","name":"AJC Columnists"},"tags":[{"text":"torpy at large"},{"text":"atlanta-news-metro.ajc"},{"text":"torpy-rss"},{"text":"teamdan"},{"text":"localnews.ajc"},{"text":"local government"}]},"label":{"tease_label":{"display":true,"text":"OPINION"},"custom_label":{"display":true,"text":"ONLY ON AJC: TORPY AT LARGE"}},"type":"story","last_updated_date":"2024-11-08T10:00:02.988Z","promo_items":{"basic":{"credits":{"affiliation":[{"name":"AP","type":"author"}],"by":[{"name":"Salvatore Di Nolfi","type":"author"}]},"subtitle":"US Election 2024 Global Reaction Switzerland","width":6000,"caption":"Supporters of U.S. Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris watch as the first results from the state of Georgia come in during an election night watch party, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024 in Geneva, Switzerland. (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP)","type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"425c44eb-5b03-4ce5-89fa-69e74b50003b"},"url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/EROMQCVTGVS4425DZ3SBEKAAQU.jpg","height":4000}},"canonical_url":"/opinion/columnists/torpy-georgias-democrats-still-not-quite-ready-for-prime-time/RM6C5KXINJECTGXTC26W7NIOZ4/","_id":"RM6C5KXINJECTGXTC26W7NIOZ4"},{"content_elements":[{"_id":"MERG4DQP7FAOJBKLVZZBHQ445Y","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730841575962},"type":"text","content":"One wonders how much jurors can take."},{"_id":"AKG3AFZCPJGVHJIGZECCGJIVSU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730841575963},"type":"text","content":"A sense of juror frustration surfaced in Fulton County court on Tuesday. But let me roll back a day to say how we got there in the saga known as The Longest Trial Ever in Georgia History."},{"_id":"OVDROTZCABBE5BV62YM56ANNUM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730841575964},"type":"text","content":"After almost a year of being forced to spend their days confined to a courtroom with an internationally famous rapper, jurors walked into court <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/news/crime/young-thug-trial-jury-returns-to-find-only-two-defendants-left/4ETTF3OT5BC33LAEJHURAIOOJ4/\" target=\"_blank\">Monday to find that Young Thug</a> — and several of his co-defendants — had vanished."},{"_id":"M5B2EFAFEREZ3BTVDNUX5JT5XA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730841575965},"type":"text","content":"Young Thug, born Jeffery Williams, accused of being the leader of a vicious street gang, <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/news/crime/young-thug-pleading-guilty-in-lengthy-gang-case/OIQB7LSPUVF35DCMWNHQXZLAXI/\" target=\"_blank\">pleaded guilty last week </a>in the jury’s absence to a host of charges. He is now out of the slammer on probation,<a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/opinion/columnists/torpy-young-thug-walks-as-trial-fizzles-is-that-all-there-was/2JL3IHMWAZDRFDTDGYFHQFH7UM/\" target=\"_blank\"> probably plotting his triumphant comeback.</a>"},{"_id":"HPJKBEP25JFT5F6T7HI4WIRVR4","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"_id":"JFGLBQLQ5FE7VGSTYSZQJDWFTY"},"type":"interstitial_link","content":"How Atlanta rapper Young Thug’s guilty plea came together","url":"https://www.ajc.com/news/crime/how-atlanta-rapper-young-thugs-guilty-plea-came-together/P2AYMVI2ZZCTPPPY2XRRINK3LU/"},{"_id":"E5MWRFLCSVGRFHHFHGZ2PQNJOA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730841575966},"type":"text","content":"After 12 days away from court, the jury arrived Monday to see a much less congested courtroom. Four banquet tables where defense attorneys had previously sat with their clients were now vacant. The back of the courtroom now resembled a quiet cafeteria after the lunch rush."},{"_id":"X5ICUYO7QRFDHE3QXXWELGKW5A","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730841575967},"type":"text","content":"Judge Paige Reese Whitaker instructed the jurors to pay no attention to the missing celebrity and his alleged minions."},{"_id":"K6NEIYWVHBCGZF3E3L7D3CQUZY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730841575968},"type":"text","content":"“You will notice that certain of the co-defendants are no longer before you for reasons that do not concern you,” Whitaker told jurors. “The prosecution of those co-defendants is no longer a part of this trial. You must not speculate, make assumptions or draw any conclusions about the possible reasons for their absence.”"},{"_id":"GVS6GSEEZ5AFVMC5KVOZ723EVU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730843334980},"type":"text","content":"Good luck with that."},{"owner":{"sponsored":false,"id":"ajc"},"copyright":"2024 Atlanta Journal-Constitution","address":{"locality":"Atlanta","region":"Ga"},"auth":{"1":"0ab82c78176e7817865a7cbcf4d3f0c82ed346711c801dd7feb65f33a4c9acc9"},"caption":"Judge Paige Reese Whitaker asks a question as she hears arguments for several motions in the YSL trial on Tuesday, July 30, 2024. Judge Whitaker inherited the case less than two weeks ago after Chief Judge Ural Glanville was removed from the case.\n(Miguel Martinez / AJC)","source":{"system":"AJC Freelancer","name":"AJC Freelancer","edit_url":"","source_type":"wires","source_id":"s3://ajc-arc-photo-integration/Freelancer/YSL Trial 63.JPG","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"}},"taxonomy":{"associated_tasks":["66a795b9a015101dc034c36d"],"seo_keywords":["AJC Freelancer"]},"type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"custom","name":"AJC Freelancer","category":"wires"},"version":"0.10.9","url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/GJY7S5WRFCJBUFCPB64NQBYABE.JPG","geo":{},"licensable":false,"credits":{"affiliation":[{"name":"Miguel Martinez","type":"author"}],"by":[{"name":"Miguel Martinez","type":"author"}]},"subtype":"Wires","subtitle":"YSL Trial","width":3744,"_id":"GJY7S5WRFCJBUFCPB64NQBYABE","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/Jz5ZPhcTWP-1Gu7wrGRIEwq2NsI=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/GJY7S5WRFCJBUFCPB64NQBYABE.JPG","comments":[],"iptc_job_identifier":"66a795b9a015101dc034c36d","keywords":["AJC Freelancer","Judge Paige Reese Whitaker","YLS","Youg Thug"],"proxyUrl":"/resizer/Jz5ZPhcTWP-1Gu7wrGRIEwq2NsI=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/GJY7S5WRFCJBUFCPB64NQBYABE.JPG","takenOn":"2024-07-30T15:37:07Z","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/GJY7S5WRFCJBUFCPB64NQBYABE.JPG","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/Jz5ZPhcTWP-1Gu7wrGRIEwq2NsI=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/GJY7S5WRFCJBUFCPB64NQBYABE.JPG","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/ZNPu_9QSW4BMxhm-1UfFY2uZADk=/300x0/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/GJY7S5WRFCJBUFCPB64NQBYABE.JPG","version":7,"originalName":"s3://ajc-arc-photo-integration/Freelancer/YSL Trial 63.JPG","mime_type":"image/jpeg","restricted":false,"galleries":[],"_id":"I3K7CIAVVBBR7FR4QUWNYP7UVE","iptc_title":"Multimedia Photographer"},"created_date":"2024-07-30T15:48:08Z","last_updated_date":"2024-07-30T21:26:19Z","height":2496,"image_type":"photograph"},{"_id":"B2CXPDCOSFCTRIJEOXI6D5EHYU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730841575969},"type":"text","content":"Before the jury was brought in, defense attorneys argued an Atlanta police detective, who had testified previously, should not be allowed to return to the stand."},{"_id":"3EO2EKEGHBBC3JPCI3O46AJTDA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730841575970},"type":"text","content":"Whitaker, who has often expressed frustration with how prosecutors are waging their case, noted they were pulling an “end run” by bringing him back."},{"_id":"P3WFYMA6JNCNDNE7AXVRBZTOQY","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"_id":"KAJB7VNCPZBZBCDDH24QGTZTBE"},"type":"interstitial_link","content":"Young Thug plea leads to questions about Fani Willis’ use of RICO statute","url":"https://www.ajc.com/politics/fulton-county-district-attorney-fani-willis-use-of-georgias-anti-racketeering-law-is-under-scrutiny/SILCXS5SEBAUBAXRHTLX6NAZFE/"},{"_id":"LQUYCQN4WRBNBHMQAS632QFM6I","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730841575971},"type":"text","content":"Defense attorney Max Schardt, who represents Shannon Stillwell, one of the two remaining defendants, said having the detective return to testify was “strategic” on the prosecution’s part."},{"_id":"DPPO6CDSVNEQ7PC7L6FEUH7L5I","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730841575972},"type":"text","content":"The judge laughed, adding: “I think you’re giving them too much credit.”"},{"_id":"JDTHLHW3IVFQBBHZH3PJ5KYUJA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730841575973},"type":"text","content":"The cop did not testify."},{"_id":"RSCUJN2B5ZFI3KMOWRRZFM2ISU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730841575974},"type":"text","content":"Wunnie Lee, a middling level rapper known as SlimeLife Shawty, then returned to the witness chair where he was sitting on Oct. 23 when testimony went into hiatus."},{"_id":"NKQK7UO53VGNDL62DJB5GBP2MY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730841575975},"type":"text","content":"(Jurors, who have been empaneled since last November, are used to the herky jerk. They were sent off to an <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/news/crime/judge-denies-mistrial-in-young-thug-case-but-rebukes-prosecutors/DG3YF75TTJFHZJPNTLO4CDXCOI/\">unplanned two-month “summer vacation”</a> when the former judge, Ural Glanville, was removed and replaced by Whitaker.)"},{"_id":"G6NMTSW2RJCETAW3N6FP6K2CEY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730841575976},"type":"text","content":"As jurors settled in to listen to SlimeLife Shawty expound on the rap game, prosecutors and defense attorneys paused the proceedings to huddle at the judge’s bench to discuss some point of the law."},{"_id":"A6LWUIP6IZCMHHPIFKEAYPG6L4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730841575977},"type":"text","content":"After minutes of hushed conversation, an apologetic judge turned to the jury, saying, “I hate to say after you’ve been gone a week ‘We need a minute.’ But we need a minute.”"},{"_id":"L6IW4S2IA5FU3CHBOSQBEIYI2M","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730841575978},"type":"text","content":"Again, jurors shuffled out to idle away some more of their lives."},{"_id":"GS4XTJBBLZE7HNBQ4GTCDDQAFU","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"_id":"L7AT7XI6HBHL3GEX6SC474JLCM"},"type":"interstitial_link","content":"Timeline: The YSL trial in Atlanta","url":"https://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-news/timeline-the-ysl-trial-in-atlanta/V7AYADEIVJBCPIW2354WAVEAAY/"},{"_id":"MUNIIDDLOVG3VCKD3BRXTFGPNQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730841575979},"type":"text","content":"Shawty came back to discuss some videos he and others made. Prosecutors argue that members of YSL (prosecutors call it a gang; defense attorneys say it’s merely a record label) brag about their criminal life in rap verse."},{"owner":{"id":"ajc"},"copyright":"2024 Atlanta Journal Constitution","address":{},"auth":{"1":"dadf0a1fa12ce7b034dc38f230e9114de66ee76048c1e5795d1f21e6cf365990"},"caption":"Deamonte Kendrick sits with defense attorney Doug Weinstein during the ongoing YSL trial Friday, March 22, 2024, in Atlanta. (Jason Getz/The Atlanta Journal-Constitution/TNS)","source":{"system":"McClatchy Tribune","name":"McClatchy Tribune","edit_url":"","source_type":"wires","source_id":"s3://ajc-arc-photo-integration/MCT/US-NEWS-GA-YOUNGTHUG-TRIAL-AT.jpg","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"}},"taxonomy":{"associated_tasks":[],"tags":[{"description":"McClatchy Tribune","text":"McClatchy Tribune","slug":"McClatchy-Tribune"}]},"type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"custom","name":"McClatchy Tribune","category":"wires"},"version":"0.10.9","url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/KPOIET5PGOX6M5LORM7TDHY6DQ.jpg","licensable":false,"credits":{"affiliation":[{"name":"TNS","type":"author"}],"by":[{"name":"Jason Getz","type":"author"}]},"subtype":"Wires","subtitle":"US-NEWS-GA-YOUNGTHUG-TRIAL-AT","width":3000,"_id":"KPOIET5PGOX6M5LORM7TDHY6DQ","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/pcKkdQAPGEzpFJNK_sGImfBhV0Q=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/KPOIET5PGOX6M5LORM7TDHY6DQ.jpg","iptc_source":"The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","comments":[],"iptc_job_identifier":"124516409W","keywords":["McClatchy Tribune"],"proxyUrl":"/resizer/pcKkdQAPGEzpFJNK_sGImfBhV0Q=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/KPOIET5PGOX6M5LORM7TDHY6DQ.jpg","takenOn":"2024-10-17T20:46:00Z","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/KPOIET5PGOX6M5LORM7TDHY6DQ.jpg","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/pcKkdQAPGEzpFJNK_sGImfBhV0Q=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/KPOIET5PGOX6M5LORM7TDHY6DQ.jpg","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/GwVL7wNf8VlEY6r1_RyAIE8COE0=/300x0/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/KPOIET5PGOX6M5LORM7TDHY6DQ.jpg","version":1,"originalName":"s3://ajc-arc-photo-integration/MCT/US-NEWS-GA-YOUNGTHUG-TRIAL-AT.jpg","mime_type":"image/jpeg","restricted":false,"galleries":[],"_id":"XPJ7VOLZYVA5NDUFGHJTME7CG4","iptc_title":"MBR"},"created_date":"2024-10-17T21:58:45Z","last_updated_date":"2024-10-17T21:58:46Z","slug":"US-NEWS-GA-YOUNGTHUG-TRIAL-AT","height":2000},{"_id":"I4QZ5W4WSBHYXGNTBFVMKXDMPI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730841575980},"type":"text","content":"Prosecutors allege Shawty bragged in a video about YSL members spraying graffiti on the gravestone of a rival gang leader, Donovan Thomas, who was murdered in 2015."},{"_id":"U2NZB4Q46JHXDPNKBBYS4CH72Y","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730841575981},"type":"text","content":"Shawty noted that lots of his music is fiction and that rappers like to pick feuds with others to pump up their reputation and draw attention. It’s like the mean streets’ P.R."},{"_id":"KNRMZJGHXNCVHFFYQ3XQV5FB64","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730841575982},"type":"text","content":"Monday’s testimony also included a medical examiner describing the headshot that killed a 15-year-old who was killed by another 15-year-old in 2019. Attorneys for the two remaining defendants, Stillwell and Deamonte Kendrick, also known as Yak Gotti, argue the murder has nothing to do with their clients. But this is a RICO case, so all sorts of evidence can slide in."},{"_id":"WRXTFJ7J25CJROQUHT52HP2T7Q","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730841575983},"type":"text","content":"After Shawty’s testimony, an Atlanta cop sat on the stand and opened a heavily taped evidence package filled with guns, drugs and jewelry found at a raid of Young Thug’s house in 2022."},{"_id":"QP36YYELOBHVDJMLIEO4UF2Q34","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730841575984},"type":"text","content":"Doug Weinstein, attorney for Yak Gotti, who was at the home that day, called the place a “party house.” Albeit a well-armed one."},{"_id":"A2JNHPVCZVG4PLXPAAGNNSPKNM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730841575985},"type":"text","content":"It was the first time that the contents of the raid were presented in court, coincidentally on the first day of testimony after Young Thug was cut loose from trial."},{"_id":"4PU7KP45EFCUZOHYBSTKDMMSK4","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"_id":"6QTUCMTOLVG5HGAFVUX3VX74AQ"},"type":"interstitial_link","content":"TORPY: Young Thug walks as trial fizzles. Is that all there was?","url":"https://www.ajc.com/opinion/columnists/torpy-young-thug-walks-as-trial-fizzles-is-that-all-there-was/2JL3IHMWAZDRFDTDGYFHQFH7UM/"},{"_id":"ZEJ65VPCQZDPTGR5KO5Y2MPM64","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730841575986},"type":"text","content":"Monday’s proceedings caused at least one juror to slow boil. I get it. Trials are often so agonizingly boring they can bring out the primal scream in even the most patient human."},{"_id":"QDKVG7J6ZJA3JGP5ZOBKBTEVJU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730841575987},"type":"text","content":"On Tuesday, a juror wrote a note to Judge Whitaker asking to be removed from the case, citing the “length of this trial and how the state has handled this case.”"},{"_id":"TZXH77BO4FFW7MTIBOVT6Z72VQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730841575988},"type":"text","content":"The juror noted he “could no longer be unbiased” and said that “yesterday provided a glimpse of how the state presented its evidence and I foresee another three to six months with the remaining defendants.”"},{"_id":"A6R2ROK6KRB6BGH34I2AXP2UAE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730841575989},"type":"text","content":"The judge and all attorneys agreed the slimmed-down case should move more quickly and might be done before Santa Claus loads his sleigh. The juror was brought into court and told this and seemed to be less frustrated afterward."},{"_id":"IDPHJJV6LZEQFFXUZXJL3IBBXM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730841575990},"type":"text","content":"The judge, a former prosecutor, did pass on an observation to prosecutors. “Frankly,” she told them, “if you’re presenting the case in a way that is driving a juror crazy, that’s on you.”"},{"_id":"KHZWUQGOBRA3JJDFWFASMDYLNA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730841575991},"type":"text","content":"And so it slogs on."}],"display_date":"2024-11-06T10:00:00Z","credits":{"by":[{"image":{"version":"0.5.8","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/e7ef0c5b-c33a-4581-8b37-6cbb7dcb343c.png"},"socialLinks":[{"site":"email","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"btorpy@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"https://twitter.com/billtorpy"}],"social_links":[{"site":"email","url":"btorpy@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","url":"https://twitter.com/billtorpy"}],"name":"Bill Torpy","description":"Bill Torpy, who writes about metro Atlanta for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, joined the newspaper in 1990.","_id":"bill-torpy","additional_properties":{"original":{"lastName":"Torpy","image":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/e7ef0c5b-c33a-4581-8b37-6cbb7dcb343c.png","role":"Columnist","education":[],"longBio":"Bill Torpy, who writes about metro Atlanta for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, joined the newspaper in 1990. He writes the metro column and has covered politics, government and countless stories about police, courts, the justice system and humanity in general. The Chicago native graduated from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Ill., and previously worked for the Daily Southtown in Chicago","org":"ajc","affiliations":"The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","bio":"Bill Torpy, who writes about metro Atlanta for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, joined the newspaper in 1990.","author_type":"Staff","type":"author","expertise":"7.16,10","firstName":"Bill","twitter":"https://twitter.com/billtorpy","books":[],"podcasts":[],"awards":[],"beat":"Metro columnist","custom_ajc_website":"ajc","_id":"bill-torpy","last_updated_date":"2023-06-12T22:45:24.641Z","bio_page":"/staff/bill-torpy/","byline":"Bill Torpy","email":"btorpy@ajc.com","status":true}},"type":"author","version":"0.5.8","url":"/staff/bill-torpy/"}]},"subtype":"Article","headlines":{"basic":"TORPY: Juror discontent as Young ThugLess trial rolls on"},"first_publish_date":"2024-11-06T10:00:03.044Z","taxonomy":{"primary_site":{"path":"/opinion/columnists","parent_id":"/opinion","name":"AJC Columnists","description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","_id":"/opinion/columnists","additional_properties":{"original":{"parent":{"AmpNav":"/opinion","default":"/opinion","MainMenu2024":"/opinion","BottomNav":null,"TopNavRedesign":null,"SectionMap":"/","MainMenuRedesign2021":null,"TopNav":null,"ComposerNav":"/opinion"},"site":{"section_comments_enabled":"Yes","site_description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","site_title":"AJC Columnists"},"navigation":{"nav_title":"AJC Columnists"},"inactive":false,"node_type":"section","name":"AJC Columnists","_id":"/opinion/columnists","ancestors":{"MainMenu2024":["/","/opinion"],"TopNavRedesign":[],"SectionMap":["/"],"MainMenuRedesign2021":[],"TopNav":[],"ComposerNav":["/opinion"]},"order":{"MainMenu2024":2002,"SectionMap":1073,"ComposerNav":2003}}},"type":"site","version":"0.5.8"},"sections":[{"path":"/opinion/columnists","parent":{"default":"/opinion"},"_website":"ajc","parent_id":"/opinion","name":"AJC Columnists","description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","_id":"/opinion/columnists","additional_properties":{"original":{"parent":{"AmpNav":"/opinion","default":"/opinion","MainMenu2024":"/opinion","BottomNav":null,"TopNavRedesign":null,"SectionMap":"/","MainMenuRedesign2021":null,"TopNav":null,"ComposerNav":"/opinion"},"site":{"section_comments_enabled":"Yes","site_description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","site_title":"AJC Columnists"},"navigation":{"nav_title":"AJC Columnists"},"inactive":false,"node_type":"section","_website":"ajc","name":"AJC Columnists","_id":"/opinion/columnists","ancestors":{"MainMenu2024":["/","/opinion"],"TopNavRedesign":[],"SectionMap":["/"],"MainMenuRedesign2021":[],"TopNav":[],"ComposerNav":["/opinion"]},"order":{"MainMenu2024":2002,"SectionMap":1073,"ComposerNav":2003}}},"_website_section_id":"ajc./opinion/columnists","type":"section","version":"0.6.0"}],"primary_section":{"path":"/opinion/columnists","name":"AJC Columnists"},"tags":[{"text":"torpy at large"},{"text":"atlanta-news-metro.ajc"},{"text":"torpy-rss"},{"text":"teamdan"},{"text":"localnews.ajc"},{"text":"local government"}]},"label":{"tease_label":{"display":true,"text":"OPINION"},"custom_label":{"display":true,"text":"ONLY ON AJC: TORPY AT LARGE"}},"type":"story","last_updated_date":"2024-11-06T20:28:38.164Z","promo_items":{"basic":{"credits":{"affiliation":[{"name":"Miguel Martinez","type":"author"}],"by":[{"name":"Miguel Martinez","type":"author"}]},"subtitle":"Former co-defendant testifies against Young Thug and others","width":5131,"caption":"Atlanta rapper Young Thug looks at the key witness Antonio Sledge entering the courtroom during the YSL trial at the Fulton County Courthouse in Atlanta on Wednesday, Sept. 4., 2024.\r(Miguel Martinez / AJC)","type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"custom","name":"AJC Freelancer","category":"wires"},"url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/2V5NTZ4NJ5ZOLC6TQSS3LTUX6Y.JPG","height":3421}},"canonical_url":"/opinion/columnists/torpy-juror-discontent-as-young-thugless-trial-rolls-on/PIFW6XZHCJADFD4R3TY4VH33NE/","_id":"PIFW6XZHCJADFD4R3TY4VH33NE"},{"content_elements":[{"_id":"J4GB6QXJTZGG7BAZEJ3IBHK3YU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730820353983},"type":"text","content":"In postelection America, we will have to learn to live with a certain level of uncertainty."},{"_id":"XEFXWUJZ7NHXFIYWMOIPHAGJBQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730820353984},"type":"text","content":"Many of us have spent the last few weeks obsessing about Tuesday’s presidential election. Nowhere is this truer than in our newly minted swing state."},{"_id":"I64RJDIIMNDAVKB7LATKMBLF6M","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730820353986},"type":"text","content":"The presidential candidates have been obsessed with us as well."},{"_id":"UYCQB6GBDRBB5H33FRH3BWYWJY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[{"pos":80,"comment":"presidential"}],"comments":[],"_id":1730820353987},"type":"text","content":"We have endured massive traffic disruptions, the result of multiple visits from the candidates. Every week it seemed someone was stomping through Georgia in support of Kamala Harris or Donald Trump."},{"_id":"CYMQK2CRZJFXRELFM4BP7KN2E4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730820353988},"type":"text","content":"Strangers clogged our phones with text messages asking us to vote. Organizations filled our mailboxes with flyers touting the candidates’ attributes."},{"_id":"P6PE6LQMGRH4ZPXVWOJDC3OGY4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730820353989},"type":"text","content":"Canvassers came to our doors. Pollsters asked our opinions."},{"_id":"EWMEZUPFXBFHFP6ABQPW7U2LUM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730820353990},"type":"text","content":"We saw endless television advertisements that angered or inspired us."},{"_id":"2T65BCRCRJBLVN7GPNWGVIUK7A","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730820353991},"type":"text","content":"Our social media feeds were a continuous reel of politics."},{"_id":"4OG44KJPIRGSNM7TZTCXNUPXOQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730820353992},"type":"text","content":"Being inundated for so many months with election information, misinformation and disinformation left many of us anxious, exhausted and confused."},{"_id":"WVWYF3TDSJBULG77OMF7O2TOGU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730820353993},"type":"text","content":"In late October, <a href=\"https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2024/10/top-us-stressors\">an American Psychological Association survey</a> found that 77% of Americans are worried about the future of the nation and 69% were worried about the presidential election."},{"_id":"EZVRKZURYVA6ZMKXYB44AXQIWY","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"_id":"QEAJSQVPFJD5HGP6QSPFD7ZL4Q"},"type":"interstitial_link","content":"Election anxiety won't vanish overnight. Here’s what can help","url":"https://www.ajc.com/news/health-news/tips-from-pros-on-how-you-can-lighten-your-election-anxiety/ATTW75HEVBC33MHXU2UJHYSWJA/"},{"_id":"4N4ATWNYGZEKXEMOE4SF5DRJDM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[{"pos":63,"comment":"the election"}],"comments":[],"_id":1730820353995},"type":"text","content":"Which means, the majority of us are still worried, even though Election Day is over."},{"_id":"RUFQUR2LTBB4TN2DAIAAKYRBQ4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730820353996},"type":"text","content":"I am writing this column before knowing who won the presidential race of 2024. I could have waited until after the election to write this, but then I realized it doesn’t matter who is declared the winner: More than half of us will still be filled with anxiety, uncertainty and confusion."},{"_id":"SJZQDUBPJ5E3PPH6DZWC2COBSU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730820353998},"type":"text","content":"We are as worried about the aftermath of the election — about what it says about our fellow Georgians (and Americans) — as we were about the election itself."},{"_id":"JVRYGVRIFFABPOT7TZDXLQFX5Y","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730820353999},"type":"text","content":"Instead of waiting for that feeling of uncertainty to go away, we will have to learn to live with it."},{"_id":"BTGLCWQT7RDBRAZ32NKMWF5H7M","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730820354000},"type":"text","content":"On Monday, I signed up for a postelection immersive sound bath with the hope that even an hour of stillness would help me recenter and tap into deep reserves of resilience for whatever is to come."},{"_id":"4AHYJ3ODE5AJPK7KTOUYTQ3W7M","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730820354001},"type":"text","content":"A friend who worked election night planned to manage her postelection anxiety with a nice bottle of wine. Another friend joked that he planned to breathe into a paper bag for the next few days."},{"_id":"XZYNVMDUDJF35NWPCGL6L6EOEQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730903586944},"type":"text","content":"I’m sure other Georgia residents are searching for easy ways to relieve their anxiety about what is to come, but I’m not sure there is an easy way through it."},{"_id":"6CALH4DTAFBVBA5Y6KZHXLN2A4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730820354002},"type":"text","content":"Mental health experts have offered a range of coping mechanisms, such as focusing on connections and relationships, reassuring our children that things will be OK, living with integrity and leading with love for ourselves and others. Some of those experts suggested disconnecting from political news when we feel overwhelmed or, conversely, getting involved with political action if that makes us feel empowered."},{"_id":"EPIOY5V3FVBTVJ4WJTNYO3CI3M","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"_id":"UO7I4WVXYNAM3K3JWYQPPOBAIY"},"type":"interstitial_link","content":"An election day so tense that parents are asking, ‘How are the kids?’","url":"https://www.ajc.com/education/get-schooled/an-election-day-so-tense-that-parents-are-asking-how-are-the-kids/UDW7UEAG2JGWTAPKC25SDRCTPY/"},{"_id":"ETOFI73FP5FQBH6ZPW2TPFV7GM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730820354004},"type":"text","content":"As they have in the past, churches of all denominations across Georgia have opened their doors for postelection reflections and prayers."},{"_id":"JQSJR6LNF5EVJHYAFCQ3QMNQIA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730820354005},"type":"text","content":"The national <a href=\"https://www.crisistextline.org/topics/election-anxiety/#tackling-information-overload-during-elections-4\">Crisis Text line</a> has an option specifically for election anxiety and offers additional resources on how to cope after the election."},{"_id":"3ZTFV4VUYFGGLJRBL4CANXEG64","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[{"pos":177,"comment":"completely "}],"comments":[],"_id":1730820354006},"type":"text","content":"Humans by nature like to avoid uncertainty, but evidence has indicated that we are increasingly intolerant of the unknown. We want answers, sometimes immediately, but trying to rid ourselves of any feelings of uncertainty can lead us down a bad path."},{"_id":"6RMIVTU3PZCXRBRDZ63CXLDVBE","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"_id":"5XYEAI4ULRDZ7LZDSTGD46D5XA"},"type":"interstitial_link","content":"Anxious? The first step is to notice, and then take a deep breath. Then read this","url":"https://www.ajc.com/politics/are-you-stressed-out-about-the-election-youre-not-alone-heres-what-you-can-do-to-manage-it/KIXZEDZZQJAI3DQK6H5QEJ2UR4/"},{"_id":"KIXFZ3R4IZGJBK7AXYPWG7YBKQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730820354007},"type":"text","content":"Studies have shown that those of us who bristle at uncertainty are also more likely to believe misinformation. Our aversion to the unknown prevents us from evaluating information and ideas in ways that are accurate and productive. It makes us anxious and leads to black-and-white thinking."},{"_id":"FBZUGV3DGNELRBUZQWH3ENVDHM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730820354008},"type":"text","content":"It may not be easy to figure out the best way to avoid that right now. How do you stop feeling anxious about the potential for postelection violence or the prospect of the country continuing to be divided instead of finding a way to heal?"},{"_id":"MLPVJTR6KRBXDNN3KTFER3Y75Y","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730820354009},"type":"text","content":"Our decline into what feels like a persistent sense of uncertainty did not happen overnight, and we won’t dig our way out of that feeling overnight."},{"_id":"LBF7J4ANPFHCBOW2NMHDMB6NAM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730820354010},"type":"text","content":"I have no idea what the future will bring, but I know that wherever you stand after the election, you will need to be resilient."},{"_id":"EWNWUIDFBZGCHFNRK5U2LDG4LQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730820354011},"type":"text","content":"We can learn to deal with this uncertainty. We can let it propel us and our country forward, or we can let the fear of uncertainty render us immobile."},{"_id":"4CEPMNHT3ZBBHOOFBCWCWE3EZM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730767459279},"type":"text","content":"<i>Read more on the Real Life blog (</i><a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/opinion/real-life-blog/\"><i>www.ajc.com/opinion/real-life-blog/</i></a><i>) and find Nedra on Facebook (</i><a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/AJCRealLifeColumn\"><i>www.facebook.com/AJCRealLifeColumn</i></a><i>) and X (</i><a href=\"https://twitter.com/nrhoneajc\"><i>@nrhoneajc</i></a><i>) or email her at </i><a href=\"mailto:Nedra.Rhone@ajc.com\"><i>nedra.rhone@ajc.com</i></a><i>.</i>"}],"display_date":"2024-11-06T10:00:00Z","credits":{"by":[{"image":{"version":"0.5.8","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/98f2f50c-d4da-49ae-9bde-27e4311ab5ad.png"},"socialLinks":[{"site":"email","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"nedra.rhone@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"https://twitter.com/nrhoneajc"}],"social_links":[{"site":"email","url":"nedra.rhone@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","url":"https://twitter.com/nrhoneajc"}],"name":"Nedra Rhone","description":"Nedra Rhone is a lifestyle columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution where she has been a reporter since 2006. A graduate of Columbia University School of Journalism, she enjoys writing about the people, places and events that define metro Atlanta.","_id":"nedra-rhone","additional_properties":{"original":{"lastName":"Rhone","image":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/98f2f50c-d4da-49ae-9bde-27e4311ab5ad.png","role":"Lifestyle Columnist","education":[{"name":"University of Pennsylvania, Bachelor's degree in Economics"},{"name":"Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism"}],"longBio":"Nedra Rhone is a lifestyle columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution where she has been a reporter since 2006. A graduate of Columbia University School of Journalism, she enjoys writing about the people, places and events that define metro Atlanta. She has written about style, entertainment, personal finance and the environment for the AJC. Previously, Rhone was a staff writer at Newsday where her first assignment was covering the devastating impact of 9/11 on the families and communities of Long Island. She later covered K-12 education for Long Island's 125 school districts and is a Pulitzer Prize finalist for her reporting on women in hip-hop. ","org":"ajc","affiliations":"The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","bio":"Nedra Rhone is a lifestyle columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution where she has been a reporter since 2006. A graduate of Columbia University School of Journalism, she enjoys writing about the people, places and events that define metro Atlanta.","expertise":"2,7,16","author_type":"Staff","firstName":"Nedra","twitter":"https://twitter.com/nrhoneajc","books":[],"podcasts":[],"awards":[],"custom_ajc_phone":"404-526-5465","custom_ajc_website":"ajc","_id":"nedra-rhone","last_updated_date":"2024-08-01T19:40:05.320Z","byline":"Nedra Rhone","email":"nedra.rhone@ajc.com","status":true}},"type":"author","version":"0.5.8"}]},"subtype":"Article","headlines":{"basic":"RHONE: Cure for postelection anxiety? Learn to live with uncertainty"},"first_publish_date":"2024-11-06T10:00:04.679Z","taxonomy":{"primary_site":{"path":"/opinion/columnists","parent_id":"/opinion","name":"AJC Columnists","description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","_id":"/opinion/columnists","additional_properties":{"original":{"parent":{"AmpNav":"/opinion","default":"/opinion","MainMenu2024":"/opinion","BottomNav":null,"TopNavRedesign":null,"SectionMap":"/","MainMenuRedesign2021":null,"TopNav":null,"ComposerNav":"/opinion"},"site":{"section_comments_enabled":"Yes","site_description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","site_title":"AJC Columnists"},"navigation":{"nav_title":"AJC Columnists"},"inactive":false,"node_type":"section","name":"AJC Columnists","_id":"/opinion/columnists","ancestors":{"MainMenu2024":["/","/opinion"],"TopNavRedesign":[],"SectionMap":["/"],"MainMenuRedesign2021":[],"TopNav":[],"ComposerNav":["/opinion"]},"order":{"MainMenu2024":2002,"SectionMap":1073,"ComposerNav":2003}}},"type":"site","version":"0.5.8"},"sections":[{"path":"/opinion/columnists","parent":{"default":"/opinion"},"_website":"ajc","parent_id":"/opinion","name":"AJC Columnists","description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","_id":"/opinion/columnists","additional_properties":{"original":{"parent":{"AmpNav":"/opinion","default":"/opinion","MainMenu2024":"/opinion","BottomNav":null,"TopNavRedesign":null,"SectionMap":"/","MainMenuRedesign2021":null,"TopNav":null,"ComposerNav":"/opinion"},"site":{"section_comments_enabled":"Yes","site_description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","site_title":"AJC Columnists"},"navigation":{"nav_title":"AJC Columnists"},"inactive":false,"node_type":"section","_website":"ajc","name":"AJC Columnists","_id":"/opinion/columnists","ancestors":{"MainMenu2024":["/","/opinion"],"TopNavRedesign":[],"SectionMap":["/"],"MainMenuRedesign2021":[],"TopNav":[],"ComposerNav":["/opinion"]},"order":{"MainMenu2024":2002,"SectionMap":1073,"ComposerNav":2003}}},"_website_section_id":"ajc./opinion/columnists","type":"section","version":"0.6.0"},{"path":"/opinion","parent":{"default":"/"},"_website":"ajc","parent_id":"/","name":"Opinion","description":"Opinion articles from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{"sponsor":{"sponsor_url_open_new_tab":"false","sponsor_desktop_banner":"","sponsor_mobile_banner":"","sponsor_url":""},"parent":{"AmpNav":"/","subnav_opinion":null,"TopicsBar2023":"/","BottomNav":null,"TopNavRedesign":null,"SectionMap":"/","TopNav":null,"TopicsBar":null,"ComposerNav":"/","subnav_homepage":null,"default":"/","MainMenu2024":"/","MainMenuRedesign2021":null},"site":{"site_url":"/opinion/","section_comments_enabled":"Yes","site_description":"Opinion articles from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","site_title":"Opinion"},"navigation":{"nav_title":"Opinion"},"inactive":false,"node_type":"section","_website":"ajc","name":"Opinion","_id":"/opinion","ancestors":{"subnav_opinion":[],"TopicsBar2023":["/"],"MainMenu2024":["/"],"TopNavRedesign":[],"SectionMap":["/"],"MainMenuRedesign2021":[],"TopNav":[],"TopicsBar":[],"ComposerNav":["/"],"subnav_homepage":[]},"order":{"AmpNav":1033,"TopicsBar2023":1008,"default":1083,"MainMenu2024":1008,"SectionMap":1092,"ComposerNav":1011}}},"_website_section_id":"ajc./opinion","type":"section","version":"0.6.0"}],"primary_section":{"path":"/opinion/columnists","name":"AJC Columnists"},"tags":[{"text":"lifestyle"},{"text":"atlanta-news-metro.ajc"},{"text":"real life blog"},{"text":"teamdan"},{"text":"elections-president"},{"text":"opinion"},{"text":"local government"},{"text":"localnews.ajc"},{"text":"opt-test"},{"text":"ajc top news"}]},"label":{"tease_label":{"display":true,"text":"OPINION"},"custom_label":{"display":true,"text":"Real Life with Nedra Rhone"}},"type":"story","last_updated_date":"2024-11-06T14:39:04.458Z","promo_items":{"basic":{"credits":{"by":[{"name":"Jenni Girtman","type":"author"}]},"width":3000,"caption":"More than 7 in 10 Americans expressed anxiety about the future of the country and the potential for violence post-election, in a recent survey by the American Psychological Association. To cope with post-election stress, experts say we have to learn to embrace uncertainty. (Jenni Girtman for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)","type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"custom","name":"AJC Freelancer","category":"wires"},"url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/W6NDI5CYCIOWXTPN2YRJEVZIDA.jpg","height":1879}},"canonical_url":"/opinion/columnists/opinion-the-cure-for-post-election-anxiety-in-georgia-embrace-uncertainty/UM4Q4ZGPNNFHJEJUWJQ6IYO2JY/","_id":"UM4Q4ZGPNNFHJEJUWJQ6IYO2JY"},{"content_elements":[{"_id":"PK6TFEMU4NCOZFOBYUWVBDLR7Y","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730394108060},"type":"text","content":"What’s the public left to think?"},{"_id":"APONCLCC4JGBBAXAPGT3S3H6ZI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730485453530},"type":"text","content":"Back in May 2022, when Atlanta rap star <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/opinion/columnists/opinion-young-thug-a-stage-name-or-a-way-of-life/2BMWJO3CTJACHIIAKRVCIL7YCY/\" target=\"_blank\">Young Thug was arrested</a>, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis told us gangs were “committing, conservatively,<a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/news/crime/fulton-da-casts-young-thug-indictment-as-victory-against-violent-crime/52GAMULUVBCHRPOPETJJHRG6AU/\" target=\"_blank\"> 75 to 80% of all of the violent crime</a> that we are seeing within our community.”"},{"_id":"OW3DLCBPKRBKXIIM7WE237QSWU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730485453531},"type":"text","content":"Those numbers were likely pulled straight out of her ear. But if you’re a politician facing rows of TV cameras, you might as well go big."},{"_id":"3JN7KWP37RHILHY2U3MB7JOLIY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730485453532},"type":"text","content":"We were also told that Thugger, aka Jeffery Williams, was the leader of a violent street gang, one involved in drugs, armed robberies and shootings, leaving dead bodies in Atlanta’s streets. <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/news/crime/fulton-da-casts-young-thug-indictment-as-victory-against-violent-crime/52GAMULUVBCHRPOPETJJHRG6AU/\" target=\"_blank\">He was charged, along with 27 others</a>, in a wide-ranging racketeering indictment, a sweep that included fellow rappers, many hardened criminals and several cold-eyed killers."},{"_id":"GVSP4OQNPJFWDBSVCAO3QK3TQU","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"_id":"EDCKKKK4KZH37AB32FOX4SDMSA"},"type":"interstitial_link","content":"Exclusive: Intense negotiations in Young Thug case led to a risky guilty plea for Atlanta rapper","url":"https://www.ajc.com/news/crime/how-atlanta-rapper-young-thugs-guilty-plea-came-together/P2AYMVI2ZZCTPPPY2XRRINK3LU/"},{"_id":"D5THVQEHTVC3VLZR477A4YYGXA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730485453533},"type":"text","content":"But last week, Young Thug <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/news/crime/young-thug-pleading-guilty-in-lengthy-gang-case/OIQB7LSPUVF35DCMWNHQXZLAXI/\" target=\"_blank\">was set free after pleading guilty</a> to several criminal counts and vaguely admitting he was tied to some bad stuff, although we really don’t know exactly what. In fact, his attorneys say little, if any of it, was true."},{"_id":"TARET7P2CVCTTJDYTC5Q76C4PI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730485453534},"type":"text","content":"And that leads to the question: If he was a crime kingpin, a dastardly, scheming overlord of a murderous crew, then how does he leave confinement so readily?"},{"_id":"FIOQF3NCRVC5RHP5JQ254CBKIQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730485453535},"type":"text","content":"The Grammy winning rapper was sentenced to 15 years of probation, was banished from Atlanta for a decade, and had a 5-year prison sentence erased due to serving 30 months in jail since his arrest."},{"owner":{"id":"ajc"},"copyright":"2022 Atlanta Journal Constitution","address":{},"auth":{"1":"b9d15477b955938eefb59e2b963d3fa8fa330922260fd825e033860e6dc80af3"},"caption":"Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (L) talks at a press conference with Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat (R) and Atlanta Police Chief Rodney Bryant in Atlanta on Tuesday, May 10, 2022. (Steve Schaefer / steve.schaefer@ajc.com)","source":{"system":"AJC Freelancer","name":"AJC Freelancer","edit_url":"","source_type":"wires","source_id":"s3://ajc-arc-photo-integration/Freelancer/AAJC 051122 YOUNG THUG ARTICLE-1.jpg","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"}},"taxonomy":{"associated_tasks":["627a8ef507f12c0525235618"],"seo_keywords":["AJC Freelancer"]},"type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"custom","name":"AJC Freelancer","category":"wires"},"version":"0.10.9","url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/SRXVUTW7ANW54Z75ZAB5WKJU7I.jpg","licensable":false,"credits":{"affiliation":[{"name":"Steve Schaefer","type":"author"}],"by":[{"name":"Steve Schaefer","type":"author"}]},"subtype":"Wires","subtitle":"Rapper Young Thug among 28 indicted in sweeping RICO case","width":3621,"_id":"SRXVUTW7ANW54Z75ZAB5WKJU7I","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/oricvy2b52ra_mNJmtbn1nDmh90=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/SRXVUTW7ANW54Z75ZAB5WKJU7I.jpg","comments":[],"iptc_job_identifier":"627a8ef507f12c0525235618","keywords":["AJC Freelancer","Rapper Young Thug among 28 indicted in sweeping RICO case"],"proxyUrl":"/resizer/oricvy2b52ra_mNJmtbn1nDmh90=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/SRXVUTW7ANW54Z75ZAB5WKJU7I.jpg","takenOn":"2022-05-10T17:16:25Z","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/SRXVUTW7ANW54Z75ZAB5WKJU7I.jpg","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/oricvy2b52ra_mNJmtbn1nDmh90=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/SRXVUTW7ANW54Z75ZAB5WKJU7I.jpg","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/AibwHrLsI6OUzwGpF9CJXQO0tZU=/300x0/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/SRXVUTW7ANW54Z75ZAB5WKJU7I.jpg","version":2,"originalName":"s3://ajc-arc-photo-integration/Freelancer/AAJC 051122 YOUNG THUG ARTICLE-1.jpg","mime_type":"image/jpeg","restricted":false,"galleries":[{"headlines":{"basic":"PHOTOS: Young Thug plea deal two years in the making"},"_id":"XIAUG7VEEFATXFYFIIFSRNGERU"}],"_id":"7U2OQ6O2QRDTNJZYQB46ROJGRE","iptc_title":"Multimedia Journalist"},"created_date":"2022-05-10T18:21:41Z","last_updated_date":"2022-05-11T11:32:59Z","slug":"AAJC 051122 YOUNG THUG ARTICLE","height":2414},{"_id":"GFWQMNUYXFEYZPQNKF2ZGVUDUE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730485453536},"type":"text","content":"Young Thug pleaded guilty to one gang charge, two gun charges (including owning a machine gun) and three drug charges. He also pleaded nolo contendere (which is Latin for “I think you guys got me on this one but I’m not gonna cop to it”) to the RICO charge and a charge of leading a criminal enterprise."},{"_id":"X2PFZL5DCVC3NLEGFPAAUMNZHA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730485453537},"type":"text","content":"Still, he is out to rap again."},{"_id":"GFWQMNUYXFEYZPQNKF2ZGVUDUE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730485453538},"type":"text","content":"(Interestingly, all the RICO defendants were held without bond after arrest because they were deemed too dangerous. But a handful of them, including Sergio Kitchens, AKA the rapper Gunna, were released on probation after simply admitting that YSL was a gang. Young Thug has argued it’s merely a record label.)"},{"_id":"Z632LX6CQNHPPCKRIHSHXQICOI","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"_id":"76EIID4CMVCQZEOXODY6CKHONM"},"type":"interstitial_link","content":"Young Thug is going home amid YSL case, but his music career remains uncertain","url":"https://www.ajc.com/things-to-do/arts-culture/young-thug-is-going-home-amid-ysl-case-but-his-music-career-remains-uncertain/5GQ3JDSP7NF4VBHU2BTQ64AUKM/"},{"_id":"5BKIUWCRI5BXRD5UVVYWGOBN4U","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730485453539},"type":"text","content":"Young Thug’s sentence from <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/news/who-is-paige-reese-whitaker-the-judge-in-the-atlanta-young-thug-trial/OUBP2V447NGLXE55ZCZGQZ5KQU/\" target=\"_blank\">Judge Paige Reese Whitaker</a> came after a remarkable week of negotiations and pleas, not only from the star defendant, but from <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/news/crime/young-thug-trial-three-defendants-have-pled-guilty-in-just-two-days/AMRLCABZN5FQTLH7Y5I7CFVMJM/\" target=\"_blank\">three of his codefendants</a>."},{"_id":"3FTSOW3DDZBCFJ5FGYSPEW6UEU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730485453540},"type":"text","content":"What likely kicked off the pleas (which largely were lenient given the severity of the charges) was that the judge was considering issuing a mistrial after — yet another — blunder on the state’s part."},{"_id":"EGW7SWDYI5EU5J4E4AF4TCQVOA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730485453541},"type":"text","content":"Earlier, witness Slimelife Shawty (the nicknames have been entertaining) had read an unredacted piece of evidence during testimony, causing one of the defendant’s attorneys to demand a mistrial."},{"_id":"DPPHIUZCQRB3ZGI474EDHICIC4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730485453542},"type":"text","content":"Whitaker was no doubt exasperated. She had already sent prosecutors to remedial legal education (no kidding) to remind them how to properly share evidence with the defense."},{"_id":"U3MCZS5VCVCU7C27TOJLA3WA7E","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730485453543},"type":"text","content":"Earlier, during one of her many scolds, she told prosecutors: “What I’m trying to do is<a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/news/crime/young-thug-trial-resumes-today-amid-plea-deal-negotiations/I433UZKNDRCFVHMNIUCNEU5QX4/\" target=\"_blank\"> fix your sloppiness so that everyone</a> won’t have wasted, you know, 10, 12 months of their lives in this trial.”"},{"owner":{"id":"ajc"},"copyright":"Cox Enterprises","address":{"street_address":"the Fulton County Courthouse","locality":"Atlanta","region":"GA"},"auth":{"1":"8aa3e605dbbd1fa9886ad0fe630f59c3936e6c9ece263a198f2e58f40029f69e"},"caption":"Fulton County Superior Court Judge Paige Reese Whitaker speaks during her first hearing as judge of the ongoing “Young Slime Life” gang trial at the Fulton County Courthouse in Atlanta on Friday, July 19, 2024. (Seeger Gray / AJC)","source":{"system":"AJC Freelancer","name":"AJC Freelancer","edit_url":"","source_type":"wires","source_id":"s3://ajc-arc-photo-integration/Freelancer/071924 ysl trial new judge sg 15.jpg","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"}},"taxonomy":{"associated_tasks":["6698282fa015101dc02f337e"],"seo_keywords":["AJC Freelancer"]},"type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"custom","name":"AJC Freelancer","category":"wires"},"version":"0.10.9","url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/3G46ZC2IXU4HUJCEQJIRKYYJHU.jpg","licensable":false,"credits":{"affiliation":[{"name":"Seeger Gray / AJC","type":"author"}],"by":[{"name":"Seeger Gray / AJC","type":"author"}]},"subtype":"Wires","subtitle":"YSL trial new judge","width":5146,"_id":"3G46ZC2IXU4HUJCEQJIRKYYJHU","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/9A4IWKbmh3E4suAFjeH9GT5OXiU=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/3G46ZC2IXU4HUJCEQJIRKYYJHU.jpg","iptc_source":"Atlanta Journal-Constitution","comments":[],"iptc_job_identifier":"6698282fa015101dc02f337e","keywords":["trial","AJC Freelancer","Fulton County Courthouse","YSL"],"proxyUrl":"/resizer/9A4IWKbmh3E4suAFjeH9GT5OXiU=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/3G46ZC2IXU4HUJCEQJIRKYYJHU.jpg","takenOn":"2024-07-19T17:38:51Z","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/3G46ZC2IXU4HUJCEQJIRKYYJHU.jpg","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/9A4IWKbmh3E4suAFjeH9GT5OXiU=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/3G46ZC2IXU4HUJCEQJIRKYYJHU.jpg","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/QReCWHT7mDkCbHNGaOq2NjF9HC0=/300x0/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/3G46ZC2IXU4HUJCEQJIRKYYJHU.jpg","version":2,"originalName":"s3://ajc-arc-photo-integration/Freelancer/071924 ysl trial new judge sg 15.jpg","mime_type":"image/jpeg","restricted":false,"galleries":[],"_id":"T3PBKJZBCZFWJF4B2RCQ7TYO5M","iptc_title":"multimedia journalist"},"created_date":"2024-07-19T20:20:52Z","last_updated_date":"2024-10-17T20:29:04Z","slug":"071924 ysl trial new judge sg","height":3431},{"_id":"LOLIGDI3F5FDXKS7XX6TQL6CEI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730485453544},"type":"text","content":"If the judge had declared a mistrial, the whole trial — which started in January 2023 and is already the longest in Georgia history — would have started all over from scratch. I’m sure the rapper, as did the others, finally thought: “Let me out of here!”"},{"_id":"KU4OOQAN7NBXNO6ING3G3DU224","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730485453545},"type":"text","content":"Young Thug took a blind plea, which means he was throwing his future on the mercy of the court. Perhaps he and his attorneys, Brian Steel and Keith Adams, felt the judge had grown weary of the prosecution and might not be so harsh."},{"_id":"JUMYXF6HQRBUFGPNF5P7UB254U","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730485453546},"type":"text","content":"The prosecution asked Whitaker to lock him up for 25 years. However, Steel told the judge that the prosecution was going to release his client with 15 years probation if he agreed to “special conditions,” apparently agreeing that he was indeed a gang kingpin. But Young Thug refused."},{"_id":"BD43BYDIGBA57HLTPBQHFKQJD4","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"_id":"7CTWVKRHLBFJTBTDN7LVYQVG7Q"},"type":"interstitial_link","content":"Timeline: The Young Thug YSL trial in Atlanta","url":"https://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-news/timeline-the-ysl-trial-in-atlanta/V7AYADEIVJBCPIW2354WAVEAAY/"},{"_id":"KZMGDTCIGZFERMROTRUGCXNPUM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730485453547},"type":"text","content":"While coming up with the sentence, Whitaker noted “it is not lost on the court” that prosecutors in the previous plea offer called for probation. This means they were “willing to give a sentence that permitted Mr. Williams to walk out of the door today and therefore (do) not seem to be particularly worried that Mr. Williams, if on the streets, would be a danger to society.”"},{"_id":"72UZJQLPVJHFRH7BRNZR3IFJZQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730489312371},"type":"text","content":"The DA’s office issued a statement saying “the convictions in this case represent accountability for admitted members of YSL, a violent street gang” and that the judge issued the sentence."},{"_id":"BSJX52NRJNG4FEVSZCPSED7P6U","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730489312372},"type":"text","content":"Charlie Bailey, a former Fulton gang crimes prosecutor and Willis ally, told me “there’s value if he did this in a full-throated plea, to fully take responsibility. It’s important to the community to see that. That is not a throw-away thing.”"},{"owner":{"id":"ajc"},"copyright":"2024 Atlanta Journal-Constitution","address":{},"auth":{"1":"66f3e40b42959e5194126c9215337bb26c9243ef05ffa7320c745e455b0a3d11"},"caption":"Lawyers representing Young Thug, Brian Steel, and Keith Adams, speak to press members outside the Fulton County Superior Court after a judge sentenced him to time served and 15 years on probation on Thursday, October 31, 2024.\r(Miguel Martinez / AJC)","source":{"system":"AJC Freelancer","name":"AJC Freelancer","edit_url":"","source_type":"wires","source_id":"s3://ajc-arc-photo-integration/Freelancer/Young Thug 012_1.jpg","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"}},"taxonomy":{"associated_tasks":["67242991b1cdf92f64bb8701"],"seo_keywords":["AJC Freelancer"]},"type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"custom","name":"AJC Freelancer","category":"wires"},"version":"0.10.9","url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/4JXIOP7M3ROTXFDTXDL4G2K3LU.jpg","licensable":false,"credits":{"affiliation":[{"name":"Miguel Martinez-Jimenez","type":"author"}],"by":[{"name":"Miguel Martinez-Jimenez","type":"author"}]},"subtype":"Wires","subtitle":"Young Thug leaves jail after getting probation","width":6000,"_id":"4JXIOP7M3ROTXFDTXDL4G2K3LU","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/TtGS_yQDKyYM7FZ5aWYj6P87T9M=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/4JXIOP7M3ROTXFDTXDL4G2K3LU.jpg","iptc_source":"Atlanta Journal-Constitution","comments":[],"iptc_job_identifier":"67242991b1cdf92f64bb8701","keywords":["AJC Freelancer","Young Thug","Jeffery Williams","RICO"],"proxyUrl":"/resizer/TtGS_yQDKyYM7FZ5aWYj6P87T9M=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/4JXIOP7M3ROTXFDTXDL4G2K3LU.jpg","takenOn":"2024-11-01T00:19:33Z","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/4JXIOP7M3ROTXFDTXDL4G2K3LU.jpg","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/TtGS_yQDKyYM7FZ5aWYj6P87T9M=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/4JXIOP7M3ROTXFDTXDL4G2K3LU.jpg","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/-u_Yd9GYsepWIyqiPgnj0hb31r0=/300x0/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/4JXIOP7M3ROTXFDTXDL4G2K3LU.jpg","version":2,"originalName":"s3://ajc-arc-photo-integration/Freelancer/Young Thug 012_1.jpg","mime_type":"image/jpeg","restricted":false,"galleries":[],"_id":"RWC453GFEFAKFCXVHNJ7R3YHMY","iptc_title":"Multimedia Photographer"},"created_date":"2024-11-01T01:48:22Z","last_updated_date":"2024-11-01T20:22:04Z","height":4000},{"_id":"NUOFRP3VQVFPXNO2VMEEFSZSQM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730489312373},"type":"text","content":"Young Thug did not give that “full-throated” acknowledgment, but he has a 20-year “back-loaded” prison sentence awaiting him if he screws up on probation."},{"_id":"AEVMB6JOC5DDTIZIFIRW2QU7HU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730491872589},"type":"text","content":"“And that ain’t nothing,” said Bailey."},{"_id":"MLEILD7DRNAZJEIPML4DKPES6Y","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730491872590},"type":"text","content":"He said violent gang crime is down, <a href=\"https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/atlanta/ga-home-over-127k-gang-members-16k-gangs-das-office-ties-crackdown-crime-drop/53YLRWNDR5A2HMXEVLG3ZHHCD4/\" target=\"_blank\">a fact noted in a story that aired on WSB-TV </a>right as Young Thug’s plea was going down. Coincidence, says the DA’s office."},{"_id":"CIPEKNYFDVHGPLMJ2VK2YENVQU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730489312374},"type":"text","content":"Before sentencing, as his future lay in question, Young Thug was contrite. His team had argued his gangsta ways had been largely an act, a persona to peddle his music."},{"_id":"2H7QLAPTMZA4BCWB53BULPFGNQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730489312375},"type":"text","content":"He said he understands the impact his lyrics might have on impressionable youth."},{"_id":"33PS5AU7NFB2VMAWXI3OPWPTZY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730489312376},"type":"text","content":"“I understand how rap lyrics can be twisted,” he told the judge. “I promise you I’m 100% changing that. I’m older. I’m grown now. There’s more things to rap about.”"},{"_id":"JTJY3KBDZZCS3I7SNDVNZABFFU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730489312377},"type":"text","content":"I’m sensing a PG-rated version of Young Thug is about to be unleased on the music industry."},{"_id":"U2JOVGIJVND5LECYS7UYVUACWE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730489312378},"type":"text","content":"Young Straight Arrow?"},{"_id":"EBR4CVYSMBBCNNF6HJFJZDUY6M","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730489312379},"type":"text","content":"<br/>"}],"display_date":"2024-11-04T10:00:00Z","credits":{"by":[{"image":{"version":"0.5.8","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/e7ef0c5b-c33a-4581-8b37-6cbb7dcb343c.png"},"socialLinks":[{"site":"email","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"btorpy@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"https://twitter.com/billtorpy"}],"social_links":[{"site":"email","url":"btorpy@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","url":"https://twitter.com/billtorpy"}],"name":"Bill Torpy","description":"Bill Torpy, who writes about metro Atlanta for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, joined the newspaper in 1990.","_id":"bill-torpy","additional_properties":{"original":{"lastName":"Torpy","image":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/e7ef0c5b-c33a-4581-8b37-6cbb7dcb343c.png","role":"Columnist","education":[],"longBio":"Bill Torpy, who writes about metro Atlanta for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, joined the newspaper in 1990. He writes the metro column and has covered politics, government and countless stories about police, courts, the justice system and humanity in general. The Chicago native graduated from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Ill., and previously worked for the Daily Southtown in Chicago","org":"ajc","affiliations":"The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","bio":"Bill Torpy, who writes about metro Atlanta for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, joined the newspaper in 1990.","author_type":"Staff","type":"author","expertise":"7.16,10","firstName":"Bill","twitter":"https://twitter.com/billtorpy","books":[],"podcasts":[],"awards":[],"beat":"Metro columnist","custom_ajc_website":"ajc","_id":"bill-torpy","last_updated_date":"2023-06-12T22:45:24.641Z","bio_page":"/staff/bill-torpy/","byline":"Bill Torpy","email":"btorpy@ajc.com","status":true}},"type":"author","version":"0.5.8","url":"/staff/bill-torpy/"}]},"subtype":"Article","headlines":{"basic":"TORPY: Young Thug walks as trial fizzles. Is that all there was?"},"first_publish_date":"2024-11-04T10:00:07.223Z","taxonomy":{"primary_site":{"path":"/opinion/columnists","parent_id":"/opinion","name":"AJC Columnists","description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","_id":"/opinion/columnists","additional_properties":{"original":{"parent":{"AmpNav":"/opinion","default":"/opinion","MainMenu2024":"/opinion","BottomNav":null,"TopNavRedesign":null,"SectionMap":"/","MainMenuRedesign2021":null,"TopNav":null,"ComposerNav":"/opinion"},"site":{"section_comments_enabled":"Yes","site_description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","site_title":"AJC Columnists"},"navigation":{"nav_title":"AJC Columnists"},"inactive":false,"node_type":"section","name":"AJC Columnists","_id":"/opinion/columnists","ancestors":{"MainMenu2024":["/","/opinion"],"TopNavRedesign":[],"SectionMap":["/"],"MainMenuRedesign2021":[],"TopNav":[],"ComposerNav":["/opinion"]},"order":{"MainMenu2024":2002,"SectionMap":1073,"ComposerNav":2003}}},"type":"site","version":"0.5.8"},"sections":[{"path":"/opinion/columnists","parent":{"default":"/opinion"},"_website":"ajc","parent_id":"/opinion","name":"AJC Columnists","description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","_id":"/opinion/columnists","additional_properties":{"original":{"parent":{"AmpNav":"/opinion","default":"/opinion","MainMenu2024":"/opinion","BottomNav":null,"TopNavRedesign":null,"SectionMap":"/","MainMenuRedesign2021":null,"TopNav":null,"ComposerNav":"/opinion"},"site":{"section_comments_enabled":"Yes","site_description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","site_title":"AJC Columnists"},"navigation":{"nav_title":"AJC Columnists"},"inactive":false,"node_type":"section","_website":"ajc","name":"AJC Columnists","_id":"/opinion/columnists","ancestors":{"MainMenu2024":["/","/opinion"],"TopNavRedesign":[],"SectionMap":["/"],"MainMenuRedesign2021":[],"TopNav":[],"ComposerNav":["/opinion"]},"order":{"MainMenu2024":2002,"SectionMap":1073,"ComposerNav":2003}}},"_website_section_id":"ajc./opinion/columnists","type":"section","version":"0.6.0"}],"primary_section":{"path":"/opinion/columnists","name":"AJC Columnists"},"tags":[{"text":"torpy at large"},{"text":"atlanta-news-metro.ajc"},{"text":"torpy-rss"},{"text":"teamdan"},{"text":"localnews.ajc"},{"text":"local government"},{"text":"opt-test"}]},"label":{"tease_label":{"display":true,"text":"OPINION"},"custom_label":{"display":true,"text":"ONLY ON AJC: TORPY AT LARGE"}},"type":"story","last_updated_date":"2024-11-04T14:25:30.36Z","promo_items":{"basic":{"promo_image":{"url":"https://d1fegwn2wjh0cs.cloudfront.net/11-01-2024/t_23eac3ab278e475ba09b926f67b43d67_name_s3___ajc_arc_photo_integration_MCT_ENTER_MUS_YOUNG_THUG_HOME_SALE_AT.jpg"},"credits":{},"headlines":{"basic":"Young Thug released after guilty plea in lengthy YSL trial"},"type":"video","promo_items":{"basic":{"width":1920,"type":"image","url":"https://d1fegwn2wjh0cs.cloudfront.net/11-01-2024/t_23eac3ab278e475ba09b926f67b43d67_name_s3___ajc_arc_photo_integration_MCT_ENTER_MUS_YOUNG_THUG_HOME_SALE_AT.jpg","height":1080}},"distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"8aec2b8c-455c-4816-903d-79fc8fdf8019"}}},"canonical_url":"/opinion/columnists/torpy-young-thug-walks-as-trial-fizzles-is-that-all-there-was/2JL3IHMWAZDRFDTDGYFHQFH7UM/","_id":"2JL3IHMWAZDRFDTDGYFHQFH7UM"},{"content_elements":[{"_id":"4B22EK52ZNAJHDNIX4H3MYPHIA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730379230613},"type":"text","content":"Dean Burden, 20, was excited to vote in his first presidential election. On Saturday, Oct. 19, he and his mom drove a few minutes from their home in Cobb County to the polling place where Burden had previously voted in the December 2022 runoff between Herschel Walker and Raphael Warnock."},{"_id":"4AHEGLRG3BAX3JGEEI7LV2PQQY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730379230614},"type":"text","content":"It was the same polling place where his dad and older brother had voted just a week earlier."},{"_id":"7AIK6RAVHFBPTKRONK6YUTGKKU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730379230615},"type":"text","content":"His mom finished voting in a few minutes. Burden never got past check-in."},{"_id":"3ISSTW7VPVBDJPQP7P2DQGPQVI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730390661278},"type":"text","content":"When he showed his driver’s license, the poll worker said the address on his license didn’t match his address in the system."},{"_id":"PAXEN7PQZRGGDG5IND6WS2Y4PM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730379230616},"type":"text","content":"“You aren’t supposed to be voting in Cobb,” the poll worker said to him. “You have to go vote in Fulton.”"},{"_id":"7GDWLQCSB5GTPBKJZ26RTMREYU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730379230617},"alignment":"left","type":"text","content":"Burden’s address in the computer system was listed as the family’s previous address, where they hadn’t lived since 2021 before Burden was even eligible to vote, said his mother."},{"_id":"FULD2POCHBCT7JC5TPVH3AM7A4","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"_id":"IEB5TK4TONCDRBN2ETO2MVZVSE"},"alignment":"right","type":"raw_html","content":"<CustomInfoBox id=\"FYMFYLUVOJHBHBR74RVKVV74BI\" />"},{"_id":"J4N53A5LWFBCVPTHVQKXPCXZVQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730379230618},"alignment":"left","type":"text","content":"In early October, Burden’s mom had verified voter registration information for the entire family and everything was correct but in the intervening weeks, her son’s address had been changed. Burden said he never changed his address."},{"_id":"BHNQPYX365EWVAZ5UHN53AGBUI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730379230619},"alignment":"left","type":"text","content":"“I was more confused than anything because this had never happened to me before. I voted in Cobb multiple times, my address hasn’t changed, what is different now?” said Burden, a junior at Georgia State University."},{"_id":"UJHKLIX3VNCHJBEDXLORH7XEQQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730379230620},"alignment":"left","type":"text","content":"Poll workers didn’t give him an answer and I suspect he won’t get one."},{"_id":"LFS6SGJHMZAG7FOOZRB4LV43ZQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730379230621},"alignment":"left","type":"text","content":"This is the new era of voting in Georgia (and across the country), in which fomenting suspicion has taken precedence over ensuring that eligible voters have a smooth voting experience. It is a moment when last-minute lawsuits destined for defeat are most likely intended to serve as fodder for future claims of fraud rather than actual attempts to secure voter rights."},{"_id":"474CZSIIMRCFVHJE4HG7SESVYM","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"_id":"AKCIOKVBIVEARFW2GQ5GR6UL6I"},"type":"interstitial_link","content":"Brad Raffensperger: Georgia elections are secure","url":"https://www.ajc.com/opinion/opinion-georgia-elections-are-secure-brad-raffensperger-writes/FL7BSQY2OJE7DJT33RYMRER3LA/"},{"_id":"TJ6RB2HHHZHFBAOYJMOUZFHQI4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730379230622},"type":"text","content":"It is a moment when panic buttons and bulletproof glass are becoming a fixture of election offices because history has already shown that for some of my fellow Americans violence and intimidation win over reason in the face of defeat."},{"_id":"MJUE6LROTBBMNNKIMOKZJ3N4WI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730379230623},"type":"text","content":"Since July, when a state law governing voting challenges took effect, more than 63,000 Georgians have had their voter status challenged,<a href=\"https://apnews.com/article/georgia-voter-challenges-2024-election-f817bc282ea44e008af74f6bf5793bd1\" target=\"_blank\"> according to The Associated Press</a>. That’s a big jump from the 18,000 voters that were challenged before the law was passed. Most of the challenges are related to address changes."},{"_id":"Y7SQK5EZBVGWDH3Y36U24HBB6E","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730379230625},"type":"text","content":"Burden and his mom left the first polling place and drove to Northside Library in Fulton County as directed by the poll worker. Confident he would be able to vote, Burden attempted to check in but was thwarted once again."},{"_id":"FS4ZFVK6SFDUZHSCKN6KQJ27S4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730379230626},"type":"text","content":"“At that moment, I felt like I was getting the runaround and I was getting frustrated but I wanted to keep my cool,” Burden said. “I wasn’t trying to cause any problems, I was just trying to get my vote off.”"},{"_id":"SFWJCHO3T5GHJJM5GQW7HQXG34","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730379230627},"type":"text","content":"This time, the poll worker sent them back to Cobb County to a voting location in Powder Springs, a 40-minute drive. Once there, Burden got the same story again: the address in the system didn’t match the address on his driver’s license so he couldn’t vote."},{"_id":"73MXZ56AUVGUPP23YXRGF5F5AQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730379230628},"type":"text","content":"But this time he also got a poll supervisor who took the time to help him figure out what to do."},{"_id":"KKZQERKQLVBRFM6JFLXIFQCRCY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730379230629},"type":"text","content":"He needed to call Cobb County elections before they closed, she told him. Then she sat with him and gave him the correct phone numbers to call. Sometimes she took the phone herself to explain the situations to election officials. She helped Burden change his address, print a copy of the new registration, then sent him to yet another polling place in Cobb County."},{"_id":"WXVQ5YZNDRCEVB3SQUKRQWHQDA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730379230630},"type":"text","content":"“I can confidently say, If I hadn’t run into that woman, I wouldn’t have been able to vote that day,” Burden said."},{"_id":"EPIMPW2SYVFPXEFUYCPRVTPMTA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730379230631},"type":"text","content":"That’s probably correct considering a similar situation happened to another 20-year-old student from the University of Georgia, <a href=\"https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/fulton-county/uga-student-says-he-showed-up-vote-was-told-he-was-registered-another-county/XO5NTDOVCNEODPBMQXAMJ2WXUQ/\">according to reporting from WSB</a>. The student who has a Milton address and is registered in Fulton County went to vote only to learn that the residential address on his voter registration had been changed in February to an address in Rome. So he drove to Rome to cast his vote but was told he couldn’t vote due to the discrepancy. After three hours, the student gave up and left without voting."},{"_id":"54IBX4UURZHFRGY2MH3XGFWXYE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730379230632},"type":"text","content":"Burden’s story has a more promising ending. When he arrived at the fourth polling place of the day, it was after 5 p.m. He gave a printout to the designated poll worker who verified the updates and then sent him to vote."},{"_id":"XRKT7G6ZBNDSXFOZBG6RKTXSD4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730379230633},"type":"text","content":"“I am satisfied that I was able to get my vote off and that I ran into a person who wanted me to get my vote off just as much as I wanted to get my vote off,” Burden said. But of course, he has questions. “There are still answers that I haven’t gotten. Who changed my address? How did it happen? I knew it wasn’t me and I knew it wasn’t my parents.”"},{"_id":"MU23XD62NZCLXK6D7CF7EYWLOY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730379230634},"type":"text","content":"Not everyone has the conviction, the time, or the resources to do what Burden and his mother did that day. But at the same time, this is what we must do for ourselves and sometimes for others. We should seek ways to help people vote, not look for reasons to prevent them from voting."},{"_id":"KP3YRFI2OZDHNGXSZCAYKI46NQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730379230635},"type":"text","content":"“When I got up that morning, I knew I wanted to vote and needed to vote. I was excited to vote in my first presidential election,” Burden said. “I don’t think anybody should run into this issue. No one should be given the runaround just for wanting to cast their vote.”"},{"_id":"4CEPMNHT3ZBBHOOFBCWCWE3EZM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730173230653},"type":"text","content":"<i>Read more on the Real Life blog (</i><a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/opinion/real-life-blog/\"><i>www.ajc.com/opinion/real-life-blog/</i></a><i>) and find Nedra on Facebook (</i><a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/AJCRealLifeColumn\"><i>www.facebook.com/AJCRealLifeColumn</i></a><i>) and X (</i><a href=\"https://twitter.com/nrhoneajc\"><i>@nrhoneajc</i></a><i>) or email her at </i><a href=\"mailto:Nedra.Rhone@ajc.com\"><i>nedra.rhone@ajc.com</i></a><i>.</i>"}],"display_date":"2024-11-01T09:00:00Z","credits":{"by":[{"image":{"version":"0.5.8","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/98f2f50c-d4da-49ae-9bde-27e4311ab5ad.png"},"socialLinks":[{"site":"email","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"nedra.rhone@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"https://twitter.com/nrhoneajc"}],"social_links":[{"site":"email","url":"nedra.rhone@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","url":"https://twitter.com/nrhoneajc"}],"name":"Nedra Rhone","description":"Nedra Rhone is a lifestyle columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution where she has been a reporter since 2006. A graduate of Columbia University School of Journalism, she enjoys writing about the people, places and events that define metro Atlanta.","_id":"nedra-rhone","additional_properties":{"original":{"lastName":"Rhone","image":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/98f2f50c-d4da-49ae-9bde-27e4311ab5ad.png","role":"Lifestyle Columnist","education":[{"name":"University of Pennsylvania, Bachelor's degree in Economics"},{"name":"Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism"}],"longBio":"Nedra Rhone is a lifestyle columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution where she has been a reporter since 2006. A graduate of Columbia University School of Journalism, she enjoys writing about the people, places and events that define metro Atlanta. She has written about style, entertainment, personal finance and the environment for the AJC. Previously, Rhone was a staff writer at Newsday where her first assignment was covering the devastating impact of 9/11 on the families and communities of Long Island. She later covered K-12 education for Long Island's 125 school districts and is a Pulitzer Prize finalist for her reporting on women in hip-hop. ","org":"ajc","affiliations":"The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","bio":"Nedra Rhone is a lifestyle columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution where she has been a reporter since 2006. 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It took 5 hours and 4 polling places for the Georgia State Student to cast his vote. Image credit: Dean Burden","type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"8aec2b8c-455c-4816-903d-79fc8fdf8019"},"url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/444ZOJESKJFR7DAOOTV4DKIIWA.jpeg","height":2388}},"canonical_url":"/opinion/columnists/opinion-at-polls-offer-voters-support-instead-of-suspicion/VJNMLUH2DVBCHJMQH3NS7Q2C3I/","_id":"VJNMLUH2DVBCHJMQH3NS7Q2C3I"},{"content_elements":[{"_id":"3TN555JQZVDHXIKFM2WSKCYNAI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730210741097},"type":"text","content":"Days before the first Halloween I would celebrate in my neighborhood, my friends warned me that our street was one of the more popular for trick-or-treating."},{"_id":"XGPUZQBQDBDQ5ED33QS3FVTDYY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730210741098},"type":"text","content":"I ran to the store to purchase giant bags of candy and a huge bowl. When I left the house to accompany my child for door-to-door Halloween merriment, I put the bowl on the porch landing and hung a poster-sized sign asking trick-or-treaters to “Please take one!”"},{"_id":"TINMPXBJ7VAYDOKODHCOHRSLUU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730210741099},"type":"text","content":"Rookie mistake."},{"_id":"3O723JG6WVDWPDYJICI2YVJK7U","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730210741100},"type":"text","content":"My neighbors would later tell me how they tried to prevent the chaos that ensued."},{"_id":"B6KPXH6QBVHJXMDXKO6D63YJAM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730210741101},"type":"text","content":"“Just take one please!” they yelled at the kids who stormed the steps and grabbed fistfuls of candy. “Just one!”"},{"_id":"V3XTFQPH3RDL3JB5P4D4NVFL7A","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[{"pos":83,"comment":"trick or treat "}],"comments":[],"_id":1730210741102},"type":"text","content":"When a masked marauder attempted to dump the entire bowl of candy into his plastic trick-or-treat pail, my neighbors intervened. They recovered the candy bowl from my porch, took it to their house and handed out the remaining peanut butter cups and mini chocolate bars, letting everyone know it was candy from the house across the street."},{"_id":"3WHDKG3IXRA6ZJJU6U5NZHSGA4","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"_id":"L4QRFM4TORAABHM5DZ3TNFKVXU"},"type":"interstitial_link","content":"Your weather forecast for Halloween in metro Atlanta ","url":"https://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta-news/no-tricks-just-treats-in-metro-atlanta-halloween-weather-forecast/3X4HOWK5FNDVVCQJ4BP2BMGUEM/"},{"_id":"KCYMLN7YPBEXDGGZFJ72MRWWIA","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"_id":"RJQMH7LJTJCMPCYYDF3FEK5G7U"},"alignment":"right","type":"raw_html","content":"<CustomInfoBox id=\"AMMIB2IG7ZFUXFYBD2I6NGTYPA\" />"},{"_id":"TAMKK265RNAURL2PIZDS76IXZM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[]},"alignment":"left","type":"text","content":"A resident in a nearby neighborhood described a similar event. But the kids, or possibly an adult, didn’t just scoop up all the candy, they took the bowl as well. Her solution? She leaves candy scattered across the porch and lets the kids scamper for it like birds diving for breadcrumbs."},{"_id":"SQTBVKIJOVAVNL27POPK3PFRY4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730210741103},"alignment":"left","type":"text","content":"But that was almost 10 years ago and for the past few years, I’ve been left with excess candy. Now I’m begging kids to take more than one piece."},{"_id":"MWFWOZIPTRC2LCA6F3UKRP5LKQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[{"pos":210,"comment":","}],"comments":[],"_id":1730218053667},"alignment":"left","type":"text","content":"It’s Halloween again and while kids are gearing up for another season of trick-or-treating, not everyone is excited. Each year around this time, we debate whether trick-or-treating is dead, if it should be dead and if there should be an age limit on who can go."},{"_id":"36OISMKTHZBSJA6RYMOUCD2KEU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730211803990},"type":"text","content":"I don’t think the tradition is dead, or that it should be dead, but I know that like many other rituals in American society, trick-or-treating is constantly evolving."},{"_id":"MKGHMFMRNBHGJFJDQWKC4TAJLI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730210741106},"type":"text","content":"Halloween itself has been through many evolutions. It began as a Celtic pagan festival before the Catholic Church attempted to shift attention away from all things ghoulish or grotesque and place the focus on saints."},{"_id":"WIASNFZV7ZGHZNMUSVFSFLSDTQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730210741107},"type":"text","content":"After arriving in America as a mashup of traditions, Halloween, at the start of the 20th century, moved away from the religious overtones and became a secular, community-focused celebration. A big part of that shift was reviving the centuries-old practice of trick-or-treating."},{"_id":"ILD4DTBZLRGWXN7JPVYN4XWXXQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730210741108},"type":"text","content":"Last year, Americans spent $12 billion on goods related to Halloween, a 15% increase from the previous year and a record level of spending that made Halloween the second-largest commercial holiday in the U.S."},{"_id":"NYNBFCWBBRDQJKAAZ247QX5XBA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[{"pos":59,"comment":"that "},{"pos":184,"comment":" “trunk or treating,”"}],"comments":[{"date":"2024-10-29T18:56:52.308Z","start":210,"end":212,"text":"AP suggests adding hyphens to provide a bit of clarity and to be consistent with trick-or-treat","user":"Amanda DeArmon","email":"Amanda.DeArmon@ajc.com"}],"_id":1730211803994},"type":"text","content":"But at the same time, an <a href=\"https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/11/03/less-trick-or-treatershalloween-2023/71426191007/\">unscientific USA Today poll</a> found almost 75% of respondents said they had fewer trick-or-treaters in 2023 than in the previous year. Weather, other events like trunk-or-treating and safety concerns were cited as possible reasons for the decline."},{"_id":"G52DTRUOL5GVZM63LWAHMTXYF4","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"_id":"IMKHCJQ2LVBLDBXIEBUNJ2LSAI"},"type":"interstitial_link","content":"Halloween 2024: What is the Teal Pumpkin Project and how can it save a kid?","url":"https://www.ajc.com/pulse/halloween-2024-what-is-teal-pumpkin-project-and-how-can-it-save-a-kid/SW4ICTRYKJAPPC2GXUSY22RHPM/"},{"_id":"SZNI2SFUQVGIZJCFJSHCXKEUOU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730210741111},"type":"text","content":"Safety concerns are also the reason some adults have given up on handing out treats to Halloween tricksters."},{"_id":"SK65DYK7ZVCR5P2QGCUYPHPV3Q","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730210741112},"type":"text","content":"“This is a different day and time when it comes to letting kids come to your front door,” said one resident of southeast Atlanta on a Nextdoor thread. “I stopped giving out candy years ago.”"},{"_id":"CX2SO3HUPJEANITIKXQFATE24M","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730210741113},"type":"text","content":"Neighborhoods in the metro area that are considered safe get lots of traffic from trick-or-treaters, while neighborhoods that are considered less safe end up with a candy surplus."},{"_id":"G7B4BSXDEJAUFAY6BY7LC6RSN4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730210741114},"type":"text","content":"Sometimes the difference is street level."},{"_id":"UYTWWD5UQ5HBNBNEN3VWLAT5X4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730210741115},"type":"text","content":"Grant Park is well-known for its robust trick-or-treating but the hot spots are within the boundaries of Hill Street, Ormond Street and Cherokee Avenue. Wander to the streets north of I-20 and you’ll find yourself in no man’s candy land."},{"_id":"4R3DQ2HISNDWTG23DJUMOCY6SQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730210741116},"type":"text","content":"Lately, I’ve noticed an increase in what I call “drive or treat” — adults inching the car down the street as kids jump out to ask for candy instead of parking and walking through the neighborhood."},{"_id":"357DHVDAYBBMJBCH7GZSRFXOO4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[{"pos":113,"comment":" trick or treating"}],"comments":[],"_id":1730210741119},"type":"text","content":"I thought of a recent Halloween when I dressed as the artist Frida Kahlo and saw a young girl in the same costume trick-or-treating with her family. We laughed and posed for a photo together."},{"_id":"ILMCCZNNIBCSNBGD63Z6Y7ALQY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730210741120},"type":"text","content":"Despite Kahlo’s generally solemn gaze, I am smiling wide in that photo, thrilled by this shared moment that bridged the gap between strangers and generations. It never would have happened if I hadn’t dressed up and stepped outside to take my daughter trick-or-treating."},{"_id":"3GCGLS5B6JGPLL4YETX33YNEUU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730210741117},"type":"text","content":"Trick-or-treating isn’t for everyone, but for those of us who do engage, it can offer a sense of community. The act of spending an evening walking through neighborhoods, asking strangers for candy and doing it with our identities disguised requires a level of trust in other people."},{"_id":"PYFDB7U545EEZCSA2EYE4SVBFE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730210741118},"type":"text","content":"That’s something we could use a lot more of these days."},{"_id":"357DHVDAYBBMJBCH7GZSRFXOO4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[{"pos":66,"comment":" and"}],"comments":[],"_id":1730210741119},"type":"text","content":"<i>Read more on the Real Life blog (</i><a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/opinion/real-life-blog/\"><i>ajc.com/opinion/real-life-blog/</i></a><i>), find Nedra on Facebook (</i><a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/AJCRealLifeColumn\"><i>facebook.com/AJCRealLifeColumn</i></a><i>) and X (</i><a href=\"https://twitter.com/nrhoneajc\"><i>@nrhoneajc</i></a><i>) or email her at </i><a href=\"mailto:Nedra.Rhone@ajc.com\"><i>nedra.rhone@ajc.com</i></a><i>.</i>"}],"display_date":"2024-10-30T09:00:00Z","credits":{"by":[{"image":{"version":"0.5.8","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/98f2f50c-d4da-49ae-9bde-27e4311ab5ad.png"},"socialLinks":[{"site":"email","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"nedra.rhone@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"https://twitter.com/nrhoneajc"}],"social_links":[{"site":"email","url":"nedra.rhone@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","url":"https://twitter.com/nrhoneajc"}],"name":"Nedra Rhone","description":"Nedra Rhone is a lifestyle columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution where she has been a reporter since 2006. 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Previously, Rhone was a staff writer at Newsday where her first assignment was covering the devastating impact of 9/11 on the families and communities of Long Island. She later covered K-12 education for Long Island's 125 school districts and is a Pulitzer Prize finalist for her reporting on women in hip-hop. ","org":"ajc","affiliations":"The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","bio":"Nedra Rhone is a lifestyle columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution where she has been a reporter since 2006. 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Trees looming over their homes are an unacceptable risk."},{"_id":"EG4RUPS3IBGMLKPSPPSLJAZJJA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730235979960},"type":"text","content":"The notices warn homeowners to cut back the offending limbs or find another insurer."},{"_id":"3X45NQ2X3FBPNACJR32SIPWYMI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730235979961},"type":"text","content":"But two I spoke with got cancelled anyway."},{"_id":"57NJWRFWSVBKFIJUWVDUR4GGIE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730235979962},"type":"text","content":"It’s the beauty of Google Earth, drones and other aerial imagery. Insurers can surreptitiously spy on your house to determine if you’re insurance worthy."},{"_id":"MVRZDB6I4VEYTMQAEBUNDD3H7A","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"_id":"IY2FTMFGTRBENL2BI2XWHQ4QXE"},"type":"interstitial_link","content":"Why buying a home is harder than ever","url":"https://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta-news/why-buying-a-home-is-harder-than-ever-know-your-stuff-from-the-ajc/QDBGKZJIXBCV3N4O423DNTY4EM/"},{"_id":"2FQ52IMC4FHBNADRN4KOSSQB2U","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730235979963},"type":"text","content":"Now, aerial surveillance is nothing new, but insurance companies have gotten tougher with their underwriting procedures. Hurricanes in the Southeast and wildfires in the West have made the game dicier than it once was."},{"_id":"XBO6XKINWNEHJNKHHAZB2UBUSY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730235979964},"type":"text","content":"Local arborists told me that insurers’ concerns with trees has grown exponentially in the past 18 months."},{"_id":"TABSHRN5RRB2TPGTJAL3Q6A4YU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730235979965},"type":"text","content":"“In 2023, there were a trickle of letters going out; in 2024 the tap opened up,” said James Rhynold, an Atlanta resident who runs Dad’s Tree Care, a pruning and tree removal service. “Not only are they asked to prune trees, but other (homeowners) are being dropped straight out.”"},{"_id":"2FFPFQXMYJFC7NMILNIEL47Y74","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730235979966},"type":"text","content":"One who was dropped was Ross Cavitt, a former WSB-TV news reporter and current spokesman for Cobb County government. Late last year, he got a “mysterious cancellation” from Farmers Insurance saying “your home policy no longer meets our eligibility requirements.”"},{"_id":"NGWEJ26HZJHH5MURAEVJGSI7DY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730235979967},"type":"text","content":"Farmers, in letters to the Georgia Insurance Commissioners office, said there was debris on Cavitt’s roof and that nearby trees presented “unacceptable exposure.”"},{"owner":{"sponsored":false,"id":"ajc"},"address":{},"syndication":{},"auth":{"1":"8c91be1e1620a3f33991a5890cf034cb732a22291f885f425af36140fa377bc8"},"caption":"Ross Cavitt's home in Cobb County was cancelled by his insurance company because there were too many trees nearby.","source":{"system":"photo center","name":"AJC","edit_url":"","source_type":"staff","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"}},"taxonomy":{"associated_tasks":[]},"type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"8aec2b8c-455c-4816-903d-79fc8fdf8019"},"version":"0.10.9","url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/WEQNEA37IRGJJLXKBYDXN7LH54.jpg","licensable":false,"credits":{"affiliation":[{"name":"Ross Cavitt","type":"author"}],"by":[{"name":"Ross Cavitt","type":"author","byline":"Ross Cavitt"}]},"subtitle":"Ross Cavitt's home","width":3994,"creditIPTC":"Ross Cavitt","_id":"WEQNEA37IRGJJLXKBYDXN7LH54","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/2IN3kKgo30iXx_uwGUqVumUE010=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/WEQNEA37IRGJJLXKBYDXN7LH54.jpg","owner":"william.torpy@ajc.com","comments":[],"keywords":[],"proxyUrl":"/resizer/2IN3kKgo30iXx_uwGUqVumUE010=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/WEQNEA37IRGJJLXKBYDXN7LH54.jpg","takenOn":"2024-10-12T16:14:39Z","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/WEQNEA37IRGJJLXKBYDXN7LH54.jpg","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/2IN3kKgo30iXx_uwGUqVumUE010=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/WEQNEA37IRGJJLXKBYDXN7LH54.jpg","ingestionMethod":"manual","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/6zE2oZqOHWmUAdrbsUPw4bN8sTc=/300x0/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/WEQNEA37IRGJJLXKBYDXN7LH54.jpg","version":0,"originalName":"trees cavitt before xx.jpg","mime_type":"image/jpeg","restricted":false,"template_id":594,"galleries":[],"_id":"OBJFIGQNZJBCZJYXUZL3IOCRHY"},"created_date":"2024-10-29T21:01:32Z","last_updated_date":"2024-10-29T21:01:32Z","height":2118,"image_type":"photograph"},{"_id":"XHFCZH7OFZBTTGCG3B4SLC5EZY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730235979969},"type":"text","content":"Cavitt had his roofer write a letter saying the roof still had lots of mileage left. Didn’t matter. Goodbye, valued customer."},{"_id":"UBNN22MUPVGIZJLRHVASLYUIGY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730235979970},"type":"text","content":"He got another company to insure his home. But recently, they jacked up his rates, so he plans to go shopping. To make sure trees don’t present a problem again, he had 10 (most of them pines) taken down. It cost $10,400."},{"_id":"5P4KMESTKNEQRICRLMXTZF7DUA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730235979971},"type":"text","content":"“If you drive through the neighborhood, lots of people are in the same boat,” Cavitt said of his Cobb County neighborhood."},{"_id":"NW2EIL4G4BAJ7LLRAIL3PWGPCM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730235979972},"type":"text","content":"It’s called North Forest."},{"owner":{"sponsored":false,"id":"ajc"},"address":{},"syndication":{},"auth":{"1":"dde6f37dd63b625a5dca8053d472aab46de2ecf828e3707206ced5f3cc56c9f6"},"caption":"Ross Cavitt's home in Cobb County, center, after the removal of 10 trees. His homeowners insurance had been cancelled because there were too many trees nearby.","source":{"system":"photo center","name":"AJC","edit_url":"","source_type":"staff","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"}},"taxonomy":{"associated_tasks":[]},"type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"8aec2b8c-455c-4816-903d-79fc8fdf8019"},"version":"0.10.9","url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/MH2IZGXH4FBWXKL4Y7MDZUF7TM.jpg","licensable":false,"credits":{"affiliation":[{"name":"Ross Cavitt","type":"author"}],"by":[{"name":"Ross Cavitt","type":"author","byline":"Ross Cavitt"}]},"subtitle":"Ross Cavitt's home","width":3856,"creditIPTC":"Ross Cavitt","_id":"MH2IZGXH4FBWXKL4Y7MDZUF7TM","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/LUT-oWbBYswMmN6Vdv1PBMshbgU=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/MH2IZGXH4FBWXKL4Y7MDZUF7TM.jpg","owner":"william.torpy@ajc.com","comments":[],"keywords":[],"proxyUrl":"/resizer/LUT-oWbBYswMmN6Vdv1PBMshbgU=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/MH2IZGXH4FBWXKL4Y7MDZUF7TM.jpg","takenOn":"2024-10-17T18:11:13Z","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/MH2IZGXH4FBWXKL4Y7MDZUF7TM.jpg","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/LUT-oWbBYswMmN6Vdv1PBMshbgU=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/MH2IZGXH4FBWXKL4Y7MDZUF7TM.jpg","ingestionMethod":"manual","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/MbdUVPJ7Fg7K1CHzy9z0PcJycF4=/300x0/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/MH2IZGXH4FBWXKL4Y7MDZUF7TM.jpg","version":0,"originalName":"trees cavitt after xx.jpg","mime_type":"image/jpeg","restricted":false,"template_id":594,"galleries":[],"_id":"OR5VTQGG5JDT7AB4UICJGUQFMI"},"created_date":"2024-10-29T21:04:24Z","last_updated_date":"2024-10-29T21:04:24Z","height":2250,"image_type":"photograph"},{"_id":"OTWYMNGHUZGG5FP73E6IVZUGWI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730235979974},"type":"text","content":"Hal Jacobs lives 20 miles south near Decatur in a woodsy enclave called Forrest Hills (the “Forest” has two Rs, meaning it’s a proper name, not a woods). For weeks, he has fought cancellation after sending photos of his property, as requested, to his company — Safeco."},{"_id":"YG3ZFJ5L5JGFXP4LLOWRTVNJ3I","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730235979975},"type":"text","content":"After going back and forth with Safeco, he’s decided to cut back two water oaks behind his home, as well as a sweetgum and a maple. One of the “trims,” he was told, might endanger one of the oaks."},{"_id":"ARXHJK3WXZCIPPWHFGBVWTS7HY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730235979976},"type":"text","content":"It should cost about $2,000 but he’s not sure if it will satisfy the company."},{"_id":"G2TZQYBPSBCMVBX2ONZEO643KA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730235979977},"type":"text","content":"“It’s part of the problem, part of the uncertainty,” Jacobs said while giving me a tour of the trees, adding that what’s acceptable for the insurance company is opaque. “It’s like living in China: You don’t know where the line is.”"},{"_id":"NIQQSA2QRNGG7LKXID6XO7IVM4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730235979978},"type":"text","content":"Another Safeco customer, Noel Olken, from the Decatur area, told me he was unceremoniously dropped. It didn’t matter, he said, if he was “cutting or not cutting.”"},{"_id":"RI4HH3WQMVBHVKB6G3LPQKOKGU","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"_id":"NNQFQKRGBNGY7O7PWLCFJ53UOA"},"type":"interstitial_link","content":"If your neighbor’s tree falls in your yard, who pays for cleanup?","url":"https://www.ajc.com/business/real-estate/your-neighbor-tree-falls-your-yard-who-pays-for-cleanup/zazzQ1qylBHcTiZOp5DGEL/"},{"_id":"3M5MO57PGRHLNG47M6EHTDBYXQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730235979979},"type":"text","content":"Safeco told me, “Home inspections have long been a standard in the insurance underwriting process.” And, no, they don’t use drones."},{"_id":"2GBP57ABWJCEFKV3DUEULVCWME","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730235979980},"type":"text","content":"A Farmers exec said, “similar to other insurers, we regularly review the properties” through several methods including “third-party aerial imagery captured by satellites and fixed-wing aircraft at high altitudes.”"},{"_id":"OGOU43SIIVE6VCMKN47NKRFG74","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730235979981},"type":"text","content":"Many customers, he said, have successfully appealed."},{"_id":"OSWIH2OERZDFVHT6GI7CYVJR4M","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730235979982},"type":"text","content":"Cavitt went to the Georgia Insurance Commissioner’s office for help and received a letter saying: “The company advised that the debris buildup and tree overhung were not ideal conditions under their underwriting guidelines to enable them to offer continued coverage under the policy. We regret we could not obtain a more favorable response.”"},{"owner":{"id":"ajc"},"copyright":"Jenni Girtman","address":{},"auth":{"1":"45d61da692956d636aef16f7961e201ab378859d62d490c07d0bdb42e7ffa642"},"caption":"Dad’s Tree Service, including Markel Crear, from left, Mike Crear, Gary Cooper and Anthony Ray work to remove an oak tree from a Kirkwood home on Friday, Sept 27, 2024 after it fell on around 5:45 am during hurricane Helene. Several homes were damaged in this area with multiple large oak trees falling in backyards. No one was hurt and residents are waiting for insurance adjusters to arrive. (Jenni Girtman for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)","source":{"system":"AJC Freelancer","name":"AJC Freelancer","edit_url":"","source_type":"wires","source_id":"s3://ajc-arc-photo-integration/Freelancer/aajc 092824 georgia helene photos-0007.jpg","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"}},"taxonomy":{"associated_tasks":["66f696c24c958720d015f9ee"],"seo_keywords":["AJC Freelancer"]},"type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"custom","name":"AJC Freelancer","category":"wires"},"version":"0.10.9","url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/BJ3ZCQOKE5COKN3AP6PM6P4IIU.jpg","licensable":false,"credits":{"by":[{"name":"Jenni Girtman","type":"author"}]},"subtype":"Wires","width":3000,"_id":"BJ3ZCQOKE5COKN3AP6PM6P4IIU","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/8SYPbAaolerSo0Fl26SDVbTMMh4=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/BJ3ZCQOKE5COKN3AP6PM6P4IIU.jpg","comments":[],"iptc_job_identifier":"66f696c24c958720d015f9ee","keywords":["240927","hurricane","AJC Freelancer","AJC","Atlanta Journal-Constitution","Helene Damage","Jenni Girtman"],"proxyUrl":"/resizer/8SYPbAaolerSo0Fl26SDVbTMMh4=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/BJ3ZCQOKE5COKN3AP6PM6P4IIU.jpg","takenOn":"2024-09-27T15:22:32Z","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/BJ3ZCQOKE5COKN3AP6PM6P4IIU.jpg","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/8SYPbAaolerSo0Fl26SDVbTMMh4=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/BJ3ZCQOKE5COKN3AP6PM6P4IIU.jpg","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/Ukx3wCfv7PtwCaTNRtVSZ0h0GkM=/300x0/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/BJ3ZCQOKE5COKN3AP6PM6P4IIU.jpg","version":2,"originalName":"s3://ajc-arc-photo-integration/Freelancer/aajc 092824 georgia helene photos-0007.jpg","mime_type":"image/jpeg","restricted":false,"galleries":[],"_id":"QYSB57WQZ5BKBGGM6RV7SAZBAM","iptc_title":"photographer"},"created_date":"2024-09-27T17:56:34Z","last_updated_date":"2024-10-29T21:32:19Z","height":2000},{"_id":"6WLY6TT5DJCKJM6MWSZM2GKY2E","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730235979984},"type":"text","content":"“Our hands are kind of tied right now” in such cases, Bryce Rawson, the commissioner’s spokesman, told me this week. He pointed to a state law allowing cancellation if there’s “a change in the risk which substantially increases any hazard the policy insures against.”"},{"_id":"QKEQD5Q67VGHNISXZWD6BDJ5QI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730235979985},"type":"text","content":"The argument is that trees grow, increasing the hazard."},{"_id":"Q7D6LVTQWNC63BH6K7P5Z6YPRY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730235979986},"type":"text","content":"Rhynold, the tree service guy, got his own letter from Travelers. But he knew a guy — <i>himself </i>— and he was able to make enough trims to keep the policy."},{"_id":"Q5WMHBNWN5DPJKBLVXNZTC6SVY","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"_id":"EF4W434EWZAAFPPG3ECTI3OW7Y"},"type":"interstitial_link","content":"Report: Georgia drops 300,000 children from Medicaid","url":"https://www.ajc.com/news/health-news/report-georgia-drops-300000-children-from-medicaid/EZZGZSKPE5AIJNXVICA6YK7R7A/"},{"_id":"6RFA2QCIE5DYVMWJTFULAK55K4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730235979987},"type":"text","content":"Rhynold lives in Kirkwood, an old Atlanta neighborhood with even older trees. He said Atlanta’s tree ordinance says you can’t prune more than 25% of a tree’s canopy. “If you do, you’ll damage the integrity of the tree,” he said."},{"_id":"WPZAO5ERJ5HXFJ5EX33FJIOBYE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730235979988},"type":"text","content":"“I’ve heard (insurers) are using AI on their client lists” using a percentage of roof being covered by tree canopy, he said. Most of the 40 or so homeowners he has dealt with on this concern have canopy covering perhaps 30% of their structure."},{"_id":"BZQTVBF2NJB3HFCDKFGDBUU3YQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730235979989},"type":"text","content":"He added, “Of course, this is a boon for me. But I’m trying to be straight with people.”"},{"_id":"FHF2FGTVPZE2HBMJ7GXY3ARB3Y","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730235979990},"type":"text","content":"Peter Jenkins, an Atlanta-area arborist, has had dozens of clients with insurance concerns and says insurance-mandated cutting can damage trees."},{"_id":"QWPANEVMHNHI5ICLXZEWF5GHSQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730235979991},"type":"text","content":"“Some companies want to cut (branches) straight up from the houseline” leaving a clearance around the structure, he said. “To say all branches over the roof must be cleared, that’s ridiculous.”"},{"_id":"G42CSGA5DFAQLGMF6AC6PLUMGA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1730235979992},"type":"text","content":"“If they want to be accurate, they need to look at the base of the tree to see if it’s healthy, not an image over the roof,” Jenkins said. “There’s a lot that goes into tree care that insurance companies know nothing about.”"},{"_id":"YW5DW46BPVAERH5WRH5E2TVUIE","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"_id":"3YHIZFWUQJAHHOETYEB4PI4GCU"},"type":"raw_html","content":"<script async src=\"https://modules.wearehearken.com/atlanta-journal-constitution/embed/12059.js\"><\/script>"}],"display_date":"2024-10-30T09:00:00Z","credits":{"by":[{"image":{"version":"0.5.8","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/e7ef0c5b-c33a-4581-8b37-6cbb7dcb343c.png"},"socialLinks":[{"site":"email","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"btorpy@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"https://twitter.com/billtorpy"}],"social_links":[{"site":"email","url":"btorpy@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","url":"https://twitter.com/billtorpy"}],"name":"Bill Torpy","description":"Bill Torpy, who writes about metro Atlanta for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, joined the newspaper in 1990.","_id":"bill-torpy","additional_properties":{"original":{"lastName":"Torpy","image":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/e7ef0c5b-c33a-4581-8b37-6cbb7dcb343c.png","role":"Columnist","education":[],"longBio":"Bill Torpy, who writes about metro Atlanta for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, joined the newspaper in 1990. 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Here’s how"},"first_publish_date":"2024-10-30T09:00:08.716Z","taxonomy":{"primary_site":{"path":"/opinion/columnists","parent_id":"/opinion","name":"AJC Columnists","description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","_id":"/opinion/columnists","additional_properties":{"original":{"parent":{"AmpNav":"/opinion","default":"/opinion","MainMenu2024":"/opinion","BottomNav":null,"TopNavRedesign":null,"SectionMap":"/","MainMenuRedesign2021":null,"TopNav":null,"ComposerNav":"/opinion"},"site":{"section_comments_enabled":"Yes","site_description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","site_title":"AJC Columnists"},"navigation":{"nav_title":"AJC Columnists"},"inactive":false,"node_type":"section","name":"AJC Columnists","_id":"/opinion/columnists","ancestors":{"MainMenu2024":["/","/opinion"],"TopNavRedesign":[],"SectionMap":["/"],"MainMenuRedesign2021":[],"TopNav":[],"ComposerNav":["/opinion"]},"order":{"MainMenu2024":2002,"SectionMap":1068,"ComposerNav":2003}}},"type":"site","version":"0.5.8"},"sections":[{"path":"/opinion/columnists","parent":{"default":"/opinion"},"_website":"ajc","parent_id":"/opinion","name":"AJC Columnists","description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","_id":"/opinion/columnists","additional_properties":{"original":{"parent":{"AmpNav":"/opinion","default":"/opinion","MainMenu2024":"/opinion","BottomNav":null,"TopNavRedesign":null,"SectionMap":"/","MainMenuRedesign2021":null,"TopNav":null,"ComposerNav":"/opinion"},"site":{"section_comments_enabled":"Yes","site_description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","site_title":"AJC Columnists"},"navigation":{"nav_title":"AJC Columnists"},"inactive":false,"node_type":"section","_website":"ajc","name":"AJC Columnists","_id":"/opinion/columnists","ancestors":{"MainMenu2024":["/","/opinion"],"TopNavRedesign":[],"SectionMap":["/"],"MainMenuRedesign2021":[],"TopNav":[],"ComposerNav":["/opinion"]},"order":{"MainMenu2024":2002,"SectionMap":1068,"ComposerNav":2003}}},"_website_section_id":"ajc./opinion/columnists","type":"section","version":"0.6.0"}],"primary_section":{"path":"/opinion/columnists","name":"AJC Columnists"},"tags":[{"text":"torpy at large"},{"text":"atlanta-news-metro.ajc"},{"text":"torpy-rss"},{"text":"teamdan"}]},"label":{"tease_label":{"display":true,"text":"Opinion"},"custom_label":{"display":true,"text":"ONLY ON AJC: TORPY AT LARGE"}},"type":"story","last_updated_date":"2024-10-31T10:23:13.232Z","promo_items":{"basic":{"credits":{"affiliation":[{"name":"Bill Torpy","type":"author"}],"by":[{"image":{"version":"0.5.8","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/e7ef0c5b-c33a-4581-8b37-6cbb7dcb343c.png"},"socialLinks":[{"site":"email","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"btorpy@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"https://twitter.com/billtorpy"}],"social_links":[{"site":"email","url":"btorpy@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","url":"https://twitter.com/billtorpy"}],"name":"Bill Torpy","description":"Bill Torpy, who writes about metro Atlanta for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, joined the newspaper in 1990.","_id":"bill-torpy","additional_properties":{"original":{"lastName":"Torpy","image":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/e7ef0c5b-c33a-4581-8b37-6cbb7dcb343c.png","role":"Columnist","education":[],"longBio":"Bill Torpy, who writes about metro Atlanta for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, joined the newspaper in 1990. 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The Chicago native graduated from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Ill., and previously worked for the Daily Southtown in Chicago","org":"ajc","affiliations":"The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","bio":"Bill Torpy, who writes about metro Atlanta for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, joined the newspaper in 1990.","author_type":"Staff","type":"author","expertise":"7.16,10","firstName":"Bill","twitter":"https://twitter.com/billtorpy","books":[],"podcasts":[],"awards":[],"beat":"Metro columnist","custom_ajc_website":"ajc","_id":"bill-torpy","last_updated_date":"2023-06-12T22:45:24.641Z","bio_page":"/staff/bill-torpy/","byline":"Bill Torpy","email":"btorpy@ajc.com","status":true}},"type":"author","version":"0.5.8","url":"/staff/bill-torpy/"}]},"subtitle":"Alicia and Hal Jacobs","width":4032,"caption":"Alicia and Hal Jacobs got a letter from their insurance company warning that their homeowners policy would be cancelled because of trees overhanging their home.","type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"8aec2b8c-455c-4816-903d-79fc8fdf8019"},"url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/YMLWGU6UZVFFFI5YNMUN6ABVUA.jpg","height":3024}},"canonical_url":"/opinion/columnists/torpy-insurers-spy-cams-in-the-sky-cause-lots-of-tree-chopping/LKYZWRVY7ZCB5IKKJ5GOOIW44Y/","_id":"LKYZWRVY7ZCB5IKKJ5GOOIW44Y"},{"content_elements":[{"_id":"PK6TFEMU4NCOZFOBYUWVBDLR7Y","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729702815538},"type":"text","content":"South Fulton’s mayor, khalid kamua — he doesn’t like capital letters — has been making a name for himself since he took office of the so-called “America’s Blackest City” in January 2022."},{"_id":"7BVRHCGDYRDBRBQYR6VZAHPRKE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729779001918},"type":"text","content":"In fact, he likes to be called <a href=\"https://www.kobicares.com/bio.html\" target=\"_blank\">“Mayor Kobi,</a>” which is capitalized."},{"_id":"37QEK4ZIGJBJLNYSOMJWZGDVDE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729779001919},"type":"text","content":"But in the past three years, his lower-case name has repeatedly flashed in newscasts, often eliciting groans from City Council members and South Fulton residents alike. Most recently, they winced yet again when he sought to have the mayoral salary boosted from $47,000 to $85,000."},{"_id":"R4EVY2SSNZAPFLP5QGPSU7M2AQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729779001920},"type":"text","content":"The Democratic Socialist and <a href=\"https://specials.myajc.com/atl-blm/\" target=\"_blank\">pronounced activist</a> played up his Black Lives Matter credentials when he trounced a veteran Democratic incumbent, telling voters a new way was needed in the fledgling city."},{"_id":"HFKZ5QUXGFC7RF5M5T6FIC7ERY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729786018323},"type":"text","content":"Since then, there have been lawsuits, calls for investigations, allegations of corruption and a “no confidence vote” of kamau. And there was his <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/news/crime/breaking-city-of-south-fulton-mayor-khalid-kamau-arrested/75ERT4RTWBDEPDDAF2RHQNG53A/\" target=\"_blank\">absolutely bizarre arrest</a> on burglary charges — by his own police department. In that case, he almost certainly wasn’t trying to steal anything. But the incident follows his track record as a fellow who certainly beats to his own tom-tom."},{"owner":{"sponsored":false,"id":"ajc"},"address":{},"syndication":{},"auth":{"1":"f2a17c016b21941c094a85a0d42773519b676b415b104a6ccfe3a11bf5707b4b"},"caption":"South Fulton Mayor Khalid Kamau arrested on burglary and criminal trespass charges. 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Actually, he insists the hefty increase isn’t necessarily for him. It’s for the next mayor, whoever takes the seat in 2026. It’s a tough job, he says, and deserves a full-time salary. He won’t say if he’s running."},{"_id":"BXHDRDO7RNHONCNV2H563CVGX4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729786018325},"type":"text","content":"“If it passes, he’ll definitely run again,” said Councilwoman Helen Z. Willis. “Right now he has no job.”"},{"_id":"AXBC7FSW4ZDSFL7XGAAPSU5XHQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729786018326},"type":"text","content":"Willis, a kamau kritic, is running for mayor. “I feel I have no choice,” she said."},{"_id":"KDOTZ4W52NDDBD5A7H3KDRVNFE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729786018327},"type":"text","content":"Voters in South Fulton approved cityhood in 2016. It was the last bit of unincorporated land in Fulton County and was almost a defensive move, as adjacent cities were poised to <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/news/local-govt--politics/atlanta-south-fulton-annexation-goals-knocked-back-court-rulings/4tMWvk4NhsmVVDtA9Kf0PJ/\" target=\"_blank\">gobble up land to increase their tax</a> bases."},{"_id":"VTWLZPS6WNH2ZFJ56BPA4A2MTU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729786018328},"type":"text","content":"The city is a sprawling mass of 90 square miles of suburban subdivisions sprinkled amidst a vast rural landscape. There are warehouses and some industry but not a lot of prime commercial and office space. Every other person you talk to says: “We need some good sit-down restaurants.”"},{"_id":"QOPYACEBQNAZ3LFS5BSJBCKNAU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729786018329},"type":"text","content":"About 90% of the 110,000 residents are African American, the largest percentage in a U.S. city with a population over 100,000."},{"_id":"PDC7SNPYZ5FVFLJBAPWNJKYDLA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729786018330},"type":"text","content":"Kamau was elected a councilman in 2017 and then, four years later, got nearly 60% of the vote against then-Mayor Bill Edwards, formerly a long time Fulton County commissioner."},{"_id":"6ZHSURGZXVBENGIZVOBJPEOVEA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729786018331},"type":"text","content":"Almost all council members endorsed Edwards. Didn’t matter. <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/news/local/south-fulton-drama-rude-awakening-after-dream-new-city/FqK7MBRglK1cJ9aHDReeiM/\" target=\"_blank\">The voters wanted change. </a>Kamau came in and immediately antagonized the rest of the city’s officials, calling for the resignation of the city manager, city attorney and city clerk. It turns out he didn’t have that authority and his efforts were shot down. And it ensured an antagonistic relationship."},{"owner":{"id":"ajc"},"workflow":{"status_code":4},"auth":{"1":"be363479f13b0319421c2604ecd1a8a223d6828acf5f622c5ac738b2497134de"},"caption":"Traffic on Enon Road passes by signs for and against forming the City of South Fulton. Curtis Compton /ccompton@ajc.com","source":{"system":"Methode","source_type":"other","source_id":"1688456c-9ca1-4206-aa1d-91f696ee8b4e","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"}},"type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"8aec2b8c-455c-4816-903d-79fc8fdf8019"},"version":"0.10.9","url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/URGJNKWNMVZRB4LNCUKOIE2YGU.jpg","licensable":false,"display_date":"2016-10-21T14:24:07Z","credits":{"by":[{"referent":{"id":"curtis-compton","type":"author"},"type":"reference"}]},"subtitle":"Residents in South Fulton to vote on cityhood","width":2048,"first_publish_date":"2016-10-21T14:24:07Z","_id":"URGJNKWNMVZRB4LNCUKOIE2YGU","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/NTo2Xm8nrGoPiZVGg3YUa1uQVo0=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/URGJNKWNMVZRB4LNCUKOIE2YGU.jpg","comments":[],"keywords":["Atlanta Beltline","Buckhead","Fulton County","Intown Atlanta","North Fulton","South Fulton County","The Beltline","ajc top news","atlanta-neighborhoods.ajc","taxon:localnews"],"proxyUrl":"/resizer/NTo2Xm8nrGoPiZVGg3YUa1uQVo0=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/URGJNKWNMVZRB4LNCUKOIE2YGU.jpg","takenOn":"2016-10-21T14:24:07Z","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/URGJNKWNMVZRB4LNCUKOIE2YGU.jpg","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/NTo2Xm8nrGoPiZVGg3YUa1uQVo0=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/URGJNKWNMVZRB4LNCUKOIE2YGU.jpg","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/ndfsgDM_1wWC_FSVEi20tBGZXUM=/300x0/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/URGJNKWNMVZRB4LNCUKOIE2YGU.jpg","version":0,"originalName":"https://www.ajc.com//rw/Pub/p7/AJC/2016/10/21/Images/photos.medleyphoto.11836585.jpg","mime_type":"image/jpeg","restricted":false,"galleries":[],"_id":"VPSL32DNTRCQHASOELHJ5UZ5S4"},"created_date":"2020-06-24T02:49:20Z","last_updated_date":"2020-06-24T02:49:20Z","publish_date":"2016-10-21T20:07:43Z","height":1404},{"_id":"RJD65F5WLBGOTMJ5JCE7ID33YA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729786018332},"type":"text","content":"The antipathy since has been epic."},{"_id":"EGUCZ5XQGFGX3CNI3JQONWB2JM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729786018333},"type":"text","content":"He has asked for a “forensic audit” of the city and alleged misspending by council members, calling for a GBI investigation. <b>“</b>I came into this office thinking our city council needed a full-time psychologist,” he told WSB-TV in July 2022, six months into the job."},{"_id":"LNJYIZTP2ZFCLMGWH3OKS7RAJI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729786018334},"type":"text","content":"The council asked Fulton District Attorney Fani Willis’ office to look at his credit card purchases."},{"_id":"KNPBESRAPZAZHMR72PVYHBX2CE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729786018335},"type":"text","content":"Council members, in turn, alleged kamau was taping executive <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/news/south-fulton-in-turmoil-as-council-members-sue-mayor-city-manager-quits/J3HOQ7P2L5F6JKLGSAJKL2FJ3Q/\" target=\"_blank\">sessions at meetings and sued him to stop</a>."},{"_id":"EQNKCN6CYBDEPOQW7YTLMVY63E","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729786018336},"type":"text","content":"The mayor last year vetoed almost $1 million in funding for police, which was overturned by the council."},{"_id":"ACEE4AHCO5AV3PTKPWKIV7U3JQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729786018337},"type":"text","content":"“One of the tenets of Black Lives Matter is defunding the police; that sounds great in theory but it’s not practical,” said Councilwoman Natasha Williams-Brown. “One thing that residents want is a strong police force. They consistently say they want crime down.”"},{"_id":"MSNEMZ62IZAXFJW4PCSPMGTFBU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729786018338},"type":"text","content":"She continued: “There’s a lot to be said for maturity and wisdom. The mayor [he’s 48] has some maturing to do.”"},{"_id":"ACEE4AHCO5AV3PTKPWKIV7U3JQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729786018339},"type":"text","content":"Williams-Brown talked about “reality” in governing and “incrementalism.”"},{"_id":"L3Z36H4KNFDNLEYSE24NFGOWJA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729786018340},"type":"text","content":"The mayor is certainly no incrementalist. But, when you come in and aggravate those whose support you need, then you end up doing zip."},{"owner":{"id":"ajc"},"workflow":{"status_code":4},"auth":{"1":"ec6b7770993c6d77a174bba37670d6367ad3e09f1453deed53c4c67d05641e90"},"caption":"Left to right: Dre Norman, khalid kamau, Maqkeia Bess and Chanel Haley are supporting a local black-owned restaurant as part of its Black Friday initiative. Courtesy","source":{"system":"Methode","source_type":"other","source_id":"5963f099-1b51-4f81-a03d-e31fef5983fb","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"}},"type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"8aec2b8c-455c-4816-903d-79fc8fdf8019"},"version":"0.10.9","url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/VW2YV4ZQVCIZAH77OX7IFWDGNQ.jpg","licensable":false,"display_date":"2016-02-18T19:32:52Z","credits":{},"subtitle":"Black Lives Matter Atlanta holds Friday flash mob at Shrine bookstore","width":960,"first_publish_date":"2016-02-18T19:07:35Z","_id":"VW2YV4ZQVCIZAH77OX7IFWDGNQ","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/vfPfMd5NtN_y7EQkRNSnv2nBfxY=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/VW2YV4ZQVCIZAH77OX7IFWDGNQ.jpg","comments":[],"keywords":["books","ajc-features","Buckhead","taxon:life","mlk2016"],"proxyUrl":"/resizer/vfPfMd5NtN_y7EQkRNSnv2nBfxY=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/VW2YV4ZQVCIZAH77OX7IFWDGNQ.jpg","takenOn":"2016-02-18T19:07:35Z","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/VW2YV4ZQVCIZAH77OX7IFWDGNQ.jpg","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/vfPfMd5NtN_y7EQkRNSnv2nBfxY=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/VW2YV4ZQVCIZAH77OX7IFWDGNQ.jpg","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/JTNl-cvigRjdVU8YaHbCxT18yU4=/300x0/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/VW2YV4ZQVCIZAH77OX7IFWDGNQ.jpg","version":0,"originalName":"https://www.ajc.com//rw/Pub/p7/AJC/2016/02/18/Images/photos.medleyphoto.8716808.jpg","mime_type":"image/jpeg","restricted":false,"galleries":[],"_id":"JY2AY4G6W5GHJBX7EVGRIGLHP4"},"created_date":"2020-06-22T19:22:25Z","last_updated_date":"2020-06-22T19:22:25Z","publish_date":"2016-02-18T19:32:52Z","height":960},{"_id":"O364ZAASIBD4XFNRO3UAE7ZXVA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729786018341},"type":"text","content":"Last year, a new wrinkle unfolded in the kamau saga — he was arrested after a homeowner found the mayor wandering just after dawn in a lake home he owns. The man was packing. The two exchanged words."},{"_id":"IO7WGYSLCBGU7BC27ZWN2PQ4BA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729786018342},"type":"text","content":"The police report says kamau told him, “Do you know who the [heck] I am, I’m the mayor and I’ll wait for my police force to get here and see what happens then.”"},{"_id":"EPTBNEFKTBF7DPVEOOXS32LU4I","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729786018343},"type":"text","content":"They came and arrested kamau. He was charged with felony burglary and trespassing."},{"_id":"FWBGAS7FWRHLBJMD77V63ISLTE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729793981944},"type":"text","content":"The mayor later said he was passing by and that it was his “dream home” and he wanted to go in an take a look."},{"_id":"4KYSRPUMTBEWTLHNODWAXEUF5Q","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729793981945},"type":"text","content":"The governor’s office said kamau has not been suspended because he has not been indicted. I contacted the DA’s office and heard nothing. I hear she’s been busy."},{"_id":"567W4625FVAW5F67DCHVVGFFYY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729793981946},"type":"text","content":"I spoke with kamau briefly and he expressed surprise at the amount of media attention generated by the pay raise request. “No one ever calls us about the good stuff,” he added, a lament of politicians everywhere. He agreed to talk the next day but vanished."},{"_id":"HARJVHC2O5HQHPTJ6SO7EXMQPE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729793981947},"type":"text","content":"Reschard Snellings, a South Fulton resident active in city issues, supported kamau when he ran. “I wanted independent thinking on the council,” he said."},{"_id":"UDUTWE4ROJGJPALAZSSHYMEZQM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729793981948},"type":"text","content":"“His intentions are good, but he doesn’t do things the way most people do,” he said. “He’s a highly intelligent guy. I think that intelligence gets him in trouble.”"},{"_id":"B5BVRSLD5FABPDQICJ3JUPZKVY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729793981949},"type":"text","content":"Sometimes smarts ain’t all its cracked up to be."},{"_id":"B4SSJ7DH55BH7G44AIWAMQTKMY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729793981950},"type":"text","content":"<br/>"}],"display_date":"2024-10-25T12:03:08.264Z","credits":{"by":[{"image":{"version":"0.5.8","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/e7ef0c5b-c33a-4581-8b37-6cbb7dcb343c.png"},"socialLinks":[{"site":"email","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"btorpy@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"https://twitter.com/billtorpy"}],"social_links":[{"site":"email","url":"btorpy@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","url":"https://twitter.com/billtorpy"}],"name":"Bill Torpy","description":"Bill Torpy, who writes about metro Atlanta for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, joined the newspaper in 1990.","_id":"bill-torpy","additional_properties":{"original":{"lastName":"Torpy","image":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/e7ef0c5b-c33a-4581-8b37-6cbb7dcb343c.png","role":"Columnist","education":[],"longBio":"Bill Torpy, who writes about metro Atlanta for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, joined the newspaper in 1990. He writes the metro column and has covered politics, government and countless stories about police, courts, the justice system and humanity in general. The Chicago native graduated from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Ill., and previously worked for the Daily Southtown in Chicago","org":"ajc","affiliations":"The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","bio":"Bill Torpy, who writes about metro Atlanta for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, joined the newspaper in 1990.","author_type":"Staff","type":"author","expertise":"7.16,10","firstName":"Bill","twitter":"https://twitter.com/billtorpy","books":[],"podcasts":[],"awards":[],"beat":"Metro columnist","custom_ajc_website":"ajc","_id":"bill-torpy","last_updated_date":"2023-06-12T22:45:24.641Z","bio_page":"/staff/bill-torpy/","byline":"Bill Torpy","email":"btorpy@ajc.com","status":true}},"type":"author","version":"0.5.8","url":"/staff/bill-torpy/"}]},"subtype":"Article","headlines":{"basic":"TORPY: South Fulton mayor wants big raise. It might be combat pay"},"first_publish_date":"2024-10-25T12:03:08.264Z","taxonomy":{"primary_site":{"path":"/opinion/columnists","parent_id":"/opinion","name":"AJC Columnists","description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","_id":"/opinion/columnists","additional_properties":{"original":{"parent":{"AmpNav":"/opinion","default":"/opinion","MainMenu2024":"/opinion","BottomNav":null,"TopNavRedesign":null,"SectionMap":"/","MainMenuRedesign2021":null,"TopNav":null,"ComposerNav":"/opinion"},"site":{"section_comments_enabled":"Yes","site_description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","site_title":"AJC Columnists"},"navigation":{"nav_title":"AJC Columnists"},"inactive":false,"node_type":"section","name":"AJC Columnists","_id":"/opinion/columnists","ancestors":{"MainMenu2024":["/","/opinion"],"TopNavRedesign":[],"SectionMap":["/"],"MainMenuRedesign2021":[],"TopNav":[],"ComposerNav":["/opinion"]},"order":{"MainMenu2024":2002,"SectionMap":1068,"ComposerNav":2003}}},"type":"site","version":"0.5.8"},"sections":[{"path":"/opinion/columnists","parent":{"default":"/opinion"},"_website":"ajc","parent_id":"/opinion","name":"AJC Columnists","description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","_id":"/opinion/columnists","additional_properties":{"original":{"parent":{"AmpNav":"/opinion","default":"/opinion","MainMenu2024":"/opinion","BottomNav":null,"TopNavRedesign":null,"SectionMap":"/","MainMenuRedesign2021":null,"TopNav":null,"ComposerNav":"/opinion"},"site":{"section_comments_enabled":"Yes","site_description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","site_title":"AJC Columnists"},"navigation":{"nav_title":"AJC Columnists"},"inactive":false,"node_type":"section","_website":"ajc","name":"AJC Columnists","_id":"/opinion/columnists","ancestors":{"MainMenu2024":["/","/opinion"],"TopNavRedesign":[],"SectionMap":["/"],"MainMenuRedesign2021":[],"TopNav":[],"ComposerNav":["/opinion"]},"order":{"MainMenu2024":2002,"SectionMap":1068,"ComposerNav":2003}}},"_website_section_id":"ajc./opinion/columnists","type":"section","version":"0.6.0"}],"primary_section":{"path":"/opinion/columnists","name":"AJC Columnists"},"tags":[{"text":"torpy at large"},{"text":"atlanta-news-metro.ajc"},{"text":"torpy-rss"},{"text":"teamdan"},{"text":"localnews.ajc"},{"text":"local government"}]},"label":{"tease_label":{"display":true,"text":"Opinion"},"custom_label":{"display":true,"text":"ONLY ON AJC: TORPY AT LARGE"}},"type":"story","last_updated_date":"2024-10-25T12:03:08.397Z","promo_items":{"basic":{"credits":{},"subtitle":"South Fulton considers ethics violation against council member","width":2048,"caption":"Council member Khalid Kamau talks during a hearing to remove Mayor Bill Edwards and councilwoman Helen Willis on Dec. 30, 2019. STEVE SCHAEFER / SPECIAL TO THE AJC","type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"8aec2b8c-455c-4816-903d-79fc8fdf8019"},"url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/4ZISFXOR2IFIR26IU25OX4Q7FY.jpg","height":1365}},"canonical_url":"/opinion/columnists/torpy-south-fulton-mayor-wants-big-raise-it-might-be-combat-pay/TWIAJ7OQZJFE3NGOIKTZZKSW7Y/","_id":"TWIAJ7OQZJFE3NGOIKTZZKSW7Y"},{"content_elements":[{"_id":"PK6TFEMU4NCOZFOBYUWVBDLR7Y","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729614177975},"type":"text","content":"Be careful what you ask for. Because you just might get it."},{"_id":"WBRYFE2A3JAVNHJUOVZYC2P7YU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729634278568},"type":"text","content":"With that in mind, let’s talk about Shannon Manigault, the city of Atlanta’s first inspector general."},{"_id":"LFX2MSE76ZAX7PO7DBDIKCWFU4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729634278569},"type":"text","content":"The Office of Inspector General was <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/news/local-govt--politics/atlanta-city-council-creates-office-inspector-general/6JI7YVj8FwcXLBwApvvN5I/\" target=\"_blank\">created in 2020</a> after a string of city officials had been <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/opinion/columnists/opinion-thats-a-wrap-for-atlanta-corruption-probe-was-there-an-impact/FWTPYVD2FBFE3L5JCRMSTGZEEY/\" target=\"_blank\">led off to federal vacations on corruption convictions.</a> The office is “empowered to root out fraud, waste, abuse, corruption, and misconduct.”"},{"_id":"YN2TDA3O6BHWRDUHFIWIL3R6BY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729634278570},"type":"text","content":"I don’t know how happy then-Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and her City Council comrades were about creating the position. But they were maneuvered into smiling and voting unanimously because what public official wants to go up against integrity?"},{"_id":"ZSWCA4VQONANHKUIWIOX2UBVDQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729634278571},"type":"text","content":"Just try and vote “Nope” on that."},{"_id":"JIU3O2MCRZB7VAALERWPCWYAN4","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"_id":"NYWOCFTGCND6JJWF6F4E3DFFXA"},"type":"interstitial_link","content":"Georgia audit finds 20 noncitizens registered to vote","url":"https://www.ajc.com/politics/election-audit-shows-20-noncitizens-registered-to-vote-in-georgia/NRORAL7Z3RDSNMQ3QDLVEARPSY/"},{"_id":"AE4DNYGISJCMRAG75U4LZNMN64","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729634278572},"type":"text","content":"Manigault is in her fourth year on the job and is <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta-news/created-to-root-out-corruption-atlantas-inspector-general-office-faces-overhaul/75EYFMK2ANDPNADBD5NHDKAKPE/\" target=\"_blank\">now in a firestorm of her own making.</a> It’s either because she’s doing her job too well. Or, her critics say, she’s running roughshod while doing it."},{"_id":"UMRC3ZICMRDSPHQA6FW6UA4K6E","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729634278573},"type":"text","content":"Last month, Mayor Andre Dickens and the City Council created a task force to, ostensibly, stripe the lines on the highway of where Manigault’s office can — and more importantly — <i>can’t</i> go."},{"_id":"A76B2HWBSNGALAVX7UHD7TYLBQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729634278574},"type":"text","content":"Manigault says the effort is to hamstring the office from conducting vigorous prosecutions. The Dickensonians say they are merely clarifying operating rules."},{"_id":"7TQQQPZBQZA2NNDQXFJUH4XCSU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729692711104},"type":"text","content":"<br/>"},{"owner":{"sponsored":false,"id":"ajc"},"address":{},"syndication":{},"auth":{"1":"e8ae9ceaf484ecce1099a99ab0522d1e49ef8ea1454a3f7c814d82264e10c71e"},"caption":"Atlanta Inspector General Shannon K. Manigault addressed the City Council with concerns that her team's investigations are being thwarted. (Screengrab / Atlanta City TV)","source":{"system":"photo center","name":"AJC","edit_url":"","source_type":"staff","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"}},"taxonomy":{"associated_tasks":[]},"type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"8aec2b8c-455c-4816-903d-79fc8fdf8019"},"version":"0.10.9","url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/UJRXODZNIJF5DEUI5NEVGKDJCM.jpg","licensable":false,"credits":{"affiliation":[{"name":"Atlanta city TV","type":"author"}],"by":[{"name":"Atlanta city TV","type":"author","byline":"Atlanta city TV"}]},"subtitle":"Atlanta Inspector General Shannon K. Manigault","width":1452,"creditIPTC":"Atlanta city TV","_id":"UJRXODZNIJF5DEUI5NEVGKDJCM","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/qL4k0Jxqggy8YKzbJ6yQacQ16R8=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/UJRXODZNIJF5DEUI5NEVGKDJCM.jpg","owner":"william.torpy@ajc.com","comments":[],"keywords":[""],"proxyUrl":"/resizer/qL4k0Jxqggy8YKzbJ6yQacQ16R8=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/UJRXODZNIJF5DEUI5NEVGKDJCM.jpg","takenOn":"2024-05-21T22:55:57Z","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/UJRXODZNIJF5DEUI5NEVGKDJCM.jpg","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/qL4k0Jxqggy8YKzbJ6yQacQ16R8=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/UJRXODZNIJF5DEUI5NEVGKDJCM.jpg","ingestionMethod":"manual","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/_8RCYUnsax1bw6Xy_ADKRPzEG4Y=/300x0/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/UJRXODZNIJF5DEUI5NEVGKDJCM.jpg","version":0,"originalName":"watchdog.jpg","mime_type":"image/jpeg","restricted":false,"template_id":594,"galleries":[],"_id":"ECBHQYMQHBFA5PW3YS424KV6AA"},"created_date":"2024-05-22T03:12:11Z","last_updated_date":"2024-05-22T03:12:11Z","height":913,"image_type":"photograph"},{"_id":"UMRC3ZICMRDSPHQA6FW6UA4K6E","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729634278575},"type":"text","content":"<a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta-news/atlanta-ig-investigations-being-internally-blocked/QIDZRAWN2ZFAXFP2EU6MKHWJIE/\" target=\"_blank\">In May, Manigault approached </a>the City Council during its public comment session and told the council members there were forces afoot trying <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/opinion/columnists/opinion-atlanta-city-council-wants-a-watchdog-with-no-bite/4UQEVPMYNZAHXMLN6OUL73UHLM/\" target=\"_blank\">to kneecap her operation.</a> She called it a “concerted effort to interfere” with her investigations."},{"_id":"EDMZ5KEDAJFBPH2GA6AO2LK6LA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729634278576},"type":"text","content":"She didn’t name names. But now the gloves are off."},{"_id":"DU35OILXVVEANAOHG7IP3NBBPA","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"_id":"S2OEZOSFI5GPZHIDTOM4ZKVMJU"},"type":"interstitial_link","content":"Created to root out corruption, Atlanta’s inspector general office faces overhaul","url":"https://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta-news/created-to-root-out-corruption-atlantas-inspector-general-office-faces-overhaul/75EYFMK2ANDPNADBD5NHDKAKPE/"},{"_id":"I2SADPFN4ZGNZLS4DGCUPCCRVY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729634278577},"type":"text","content":"In a video on her office’s city website, Manigault notes that her office was born of scandal, adding: “But now, the mayor and his friends on the City Council want to pass legislation to keep the OIG from doing its job. Why? Because the Office of Inspector General is doing exactly what we were hired to do."},{"_id":"ZIMIH5X5XNCQFF6Z5KSFULPRYE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729636505113},"type":"text","content":"“They don’t want the accountability and transparency that this office brings.”"},{"_id":"I34AXOYCOFD7PJQGG46VKZYKNQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729634278579},"type":"text","content":"She said in August her office “released findings about council members and a powerful lobbyist.” Almost immediately, she said, Dickens’ office concocted a plan “to shut us down.”"},{"_id":"6PM6APBRYJBQTBCX73Q65W7T3M","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729634278580},"type":"text","content":"<a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta-news/methods-of-atlantas-ig-argued-during-task-force-meeting/PD7KDJUZV5BEFJN7ZW4ITFTYDY/\" target=\"_blank\">To help underline her point</a>, she added, again, on her city website: “The mayor and his friends on City Council have been telling lies about this office and the way we do our work.”"},{"_id":"ZIAPL2JE7VAKJFXOIZBQI2O2UQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729634278581},"type":"text","content":"Ouch."},{"_id":"IF3QFA6CURGMJLYCDMMIOHU2FY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729634278582},"type":"text","content":"Dickens’ office did not want to publicly respond to the Inspector General’s public comments. His people say he wants to wait until the Task Force comes up with recommendations about how to change that office’s rules of operation. The Task Force is made up of local legal luminaries like former Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Leah Ward Sears and former U.S. Attorney Richard Deane."},{"_id":"VWFWQ6A4JRF5LKMDC56ULOAJYA","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"_id":"N5Y76OX7RRAYPOZERYVUCZUGZI"},"type":"interstitial_link","content":"Many voters in Georgia don’t believe this year’s election will be fair","url":"https://www.ajc.com/politics/election/ajc-poll-changes-to-georgias-election-system-have-not-eased-voters-distrust/5HD6JYUFPZARVIVIL2CRCRMBAE/"},{"_id":"IHCOB7AFUJA4RD6EMLC64Q7MRQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729634278583},"type":"text","content":"It would seem Dickens might not be happy with Manigault or her office. One of the first big splashes from the OIG’s office was a report last year critical of the The Senior Ball, widely known as the <i>Mayor’s </i>Senior Ball. The report was critical of the office bypassing normal spending protocols and processing a $120,000 payment to the Hyatt Regency as a “professional courtesy.”"},{"_id":"UCRYKE4Y6NBLDPLOXO2OO4OQJQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729634278584},"type":"text","content":"The report found that the mayor’s office booked rooms for members of Dickens’ family, including his mom. Dickens later repaid the hotel bills."},{"_id":"H7UUFPNGVFAQDOQ5HQ6VWTNLBQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729634278585},"type":"text","content":"At a Task Force meeting last month, Odie Donald, the mayor’s chief of staff, made note of the Senior Ball — with a chart. He said Manigault issued a press release of her findings just hours after turning it over to Dicken’s office."},{"owner":{"id":"ajc"},"copyright":"2024 Atlanta Journal-Constitution","address":{"locality":"Atlanta","region":"GA"},"auth":{"1":"e445d7f058d7e23ade2116b7f5880360850dca9bfaa214f31be61f6e634e0638"},"caption":"Task force chairperson Leah Ward Sears (left), confers with colleagues at Atlanta City Hall, Tuesday, September 24, 2024, in Atlanta. The meeting was the first for the task force established to review the procedures of the Office of the Inspector General and Ethics Office. (Hyosub Shin / AJC)","source":{"system":"AJC Freelancer","name":"AJC Freelancer","edit_url":"","source_type":"wires","source_id":"s3://ajc-arc-photo-integration/Freelancer/092424 TASK FORCE HS04.jpg","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"}},"taxonomy":{"associated_tasks":["66f172964c958720d013c744"],"seo_keywords":["AJC Freelancer"]},"type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"custom","name":"AJC Freelancer","category":"wires"},"version":"0.10.9","url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/V3BDJCTAVAG7G2IZ5UV5QZE25E.jpg","licensable":false,"credits":{"by":[{"name":"HYOSUB SHIN / AJC","type":"author"}]},"subtype":"Wires","subtitle":"Inspector general task force meeting","width":6192,"_id":"V3BDJCTAVAG7G2IZ5UV5QZE25E","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/_hUgtbWSFbOjbwdAfUJdEkJGvcg=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/V3BDJCTAVAG7G2IZ5UV5QZE25E.jpg","iptc_source":"AJC","comments":[],"iptc_job_identifier":"66f172964c958720d013c744","keywords":["l task force meeting","AJC Freelancer","Inspector genera"],"proxyUrl":"/resizer/_hUgtbWSFbOjbwdAfUJdEkJGvcg=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/V3BDJCTAVAG7G2IZ5UV5QZE25E.jpg","takenOn":"2024-09-24T15:52:50Z","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/V3BDJCTAVAG7G2IZ5UV5QZE25E.jpg","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/_hUgtbWSFbOjbwdAfUJdEkJGvcg=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/V3BDJCTAVAG7G2IZ5UV5QZE25E.jpg","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/1DwLuDA9rhoc3x4w4UxMTfrWvLM=/300x0/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/V3BDJCTAVAG7G2IZ5UV5QZE25E.jpg","version":2,"originalName":"s3://ajc-arc-photo-integration/Freelancer/092424 TASK FORCE HS04.jpg","mime_type":"image/jpeg","restricted":false,"galleries":[],"_id":"4TB7C7XSUJDUTP6ZAXDV5SJBGU","iptc_title":"staff"},"created_date":"2024-09-24T22:59:32Z","last_updated_date":"2024-09-25T16:28:03Z","slug":"aajc 092424 task force","height":4128},{"_id":"ZX5GBX4YOVCM3HIJT47WFBJMKQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729634278586},"type":"text","content":"Donald was the mayoral aide who marched the plan over to the City Council for them to create the Task Force."},{"_id":"MYY4AS5HXZHZ5I62KUC65TZ3UE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729634278587},"type":"text","content":"The mayor’s office has contended that investigators are confiscating the phones and computers of employees, that they are prohibiting the subjects of investigations from having legal counsel and there is no real criteria as to why an investigation is started."},{"_id":"WXGQKZVBJRGDNJZNRGFNULQUJQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729634278588},"type":"text","content":"Donald told the Task Force that there’s been “violation of personal space,” that employees are “approached at home off the clock” to be interviewed."},{"_id":"WXDFSPYC4VHNZFGSBZBGDQGBFE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729634278589},"type":"text","content":"He added he’s “not sure if those things had fully happened but we got reports of those.”"},{"_id":"I67DEXB7BVHBPIF63NIJKIDQHI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729634278590},"type":"text","content":"Manigault told me that the employees questioned at home were working remotely from City Hall and there was no way to reach them otherwise. She said her office does not want interviewees using city attorneys because that would be a conflict of interest."},{"_id":"MFR5D4XMF5CF5IF44TE4I2TNY4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729634278591},"type":"text","content":"The question remains, who pays for the attorneys of those being questioned? Remember, what they say can be used against them."},{"_id":"XM63Q2EVKBEWBMYXEGMKNN5PHQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729634278592},"type":"text","content":"I was told the OIG’s office bought “mini spy cameras,” pen cameras and nanny cams this year. She told me that’s true, that the cameras can be used for investigations, like seeing if someone is stealing from a breakroom."},{"_id":"RDRY6D6CMBCZFDSLML75ALWMMQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729634278593},"type":"text","content":"In conversations with city and elected officials, there’s a feeling Manigault has gone rogue, that she’s obsessed with the job and wants to make a name for herself. However, those people will not speak publicly because they don’t want to get crossways with someone who has subpoena power."},{"_id":"KXG2YZXWINFLTCVETEI7W2GPSY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729634278595},"type":"text","content":"And mini spy cams."}],"display_date":"2024-10-23T09:00:00Z","credits":{"by":[{"image":{"version":"0.5.8","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/e7ef0c5b-c33a-4581-8b37-6cbb7dcb343c.png"},"socialLinks":[{"site":"email","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"btorpy@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"https://twitter.com/billtorpy"}],"social_links":[{"site":"email","url":"btorpy@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","url":"https://twitter.com/billtorpy"}],"name":"Bill Torpy","description":"Bill Torpy, who writes about metro Atlanta for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, joined the newspaper in 1990.","_id":"bill-torpy","additional_properties":{"original":{"lastName":"Torpy","image":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/e7ef0c5b-c33a-4581-8b37-6cbb7dcb343c.png","role":"Columnist","education":[],"longBio":"Bill Torpy, who writes about metro Atlanta for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, joined the newspaper in 1990. He writes the metro column and has covered politics, government and countless stories about police, courts, the justice system and humanity in general. The Chicago native graduated from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Ill., and previously worked for the Daily Southtown in Chicago","org":"ajc","affiliations":"The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","bio":"Bill Torpy, who writes about metro Atlanta for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, joined the newspaper in 1990.","author_type":"Staff","type":"author","expertise":"7.16,10","firstName":"Bill","twitter":"https://twitter.com/billtorpy","books":[],"podcasts":[],"awards":[],"beat":"Metro columnist","custom_ajc_website":"ajc","_id":"bill-torpy","last_updated_date":"2023-06-12T22:45:24.641Z","bio_page":"/staff/bill-torpy/","byline":"Bill Torpy","email":"btorpy@ajc.com","status":true}},"type":"author","version":"0.5.8","url":"/staff/bill-torpy/"}]},"subtype":"Article","headlines":{"basic":"TORPY: Atlanta’s corruption watchdog in hot water - for doing her job"},"first_publish_date":"2024-10-23T09:00:05.764Z","taxonomy":{"primary_site":{"path":"/opinion/columnists","parent_id":"/opinion","name":"AJC Columnists","description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","_id":"/opinion/columnists","additional_properties":{"original":{"parent":{"AmpNav":"/opinion","default":"/opinion","MainMenu2024":"/opinion","BottomNav":null,"TopNavRedesign":null,"SectionMap":"/","MainMenuRedesign2021":null,"TopNav":null,"ComposerNav":"/opinion"},"site":{"section_comments_enabled":"Yes","site_description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","site_title":"AJC Columnists"},"navigation":{"nav_title":"AJC Columnists"},"inactive":false,"node_type":"section","name":"AJC Columnists","_id":"/opinion/columnists","ancestors":{"MainMenu2024":["/","/opinion"],"TopNavRedesign":[],"SectionMap":["/"],"MainMenuRedesign2021":[],"TopNav":[],"ComposerNav":["/opinion"]},"order":{"MainMenu2024":2002,"SectionMap":1068,"ComposerNav":2003}}},"type":"site","version":"0.5.8"},"sections":[{"path":"/opinion/columnists","parent":{"default":"/opinion"},"_website":"ajc","parent_id":"/opinion","name":"AJC Columnists","description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","_id":"/opinion/columnists","additional_properties":{"original":{"parent":{"AmpNav":"/opinion","default":"/opinion","MainMenu2024":"/opinion","BottomNav":null,"TopNavRedesign":null,"SectionMap":"/","MainMenuRedesign2021":null,"TopNav":null,"ComposerNav":"/opinion"},"site":{"section_comments_enabled":"Yes","site_description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","site_title":"AJC Columnists"},"navigation":{"nav_title":"AJC Columnists"},"inactive":false,"node_type":"section","_website":"ajc","name":"AJC Columnists","_id":"/opinion/columnists","ancestors":{"MainMenu2024":["/","/opinion"],"TopNavRedesign":[],"SectionMap":["/"],"MainMenuRedesign2021":[],"TopNav":[],"ComposerNav":["/opinion"]},"order":{"MainMenu2024":2002,"SectionMap":1068,"ComposerNav":2003}}},"_website_section_id":"ajc./opinion/columnists","type":"section","version":"0.6.0"}],"primary_section":{"path":"/opinion/columnists","name":"AJC Columnists"},"tags":[{"text":"torpy at large"},{"text":"atlanta-news-metro.ajc"},{"text":"torpy-rss"},{"text":"teamdan"},{"text":"localnews.ajc"},{"text":"local government"},{"text":"opt-test"}]},"label":{"custom_label":{"display":true,"text":"ONLY ON AJC: TORPY AT LARGE"}},"type":"story","last_updated_date":"2024-10-23T14:55:40.718Z","promo_items":{"basic":{"credits":{"by":[{"name":"HYOSUB SHIN / AJC","type":"author"}]},"subtitle":"Inspector general task force meeting","width":5933,"caption":"Inspector General Shannon Manigault sits among other attendees during the first meeting of a task force established to review the inspector general's authority at Atlanta City Hall, Tuesday, September 24, 2024, in Atlanta. (Hyosub Shin / AJC)","type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"custom","name":"AJC Freelancer","category":"wires"},"url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/K4UHCTHV2QMLZ65QUIGTEN6LQM.jpg","height":4128}},"canonical_url":"/opinion/columnists/torpy-atlantas-corruption-watchdog-in-hot-water-for-doing-her-job/TZKWZQACGVB2FNFT2C4WSKLSBE/","_id":"TZKWZQACGVB2FNFT2C4WSKLSBE"},{"content_elements":[{"_id":"PK6TFEMU4NCOZFOBYUWVBDLR7Y","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729259736572},"type":"text","content":"It’s like late 2020 all over again, except this time it’s happening <i>before</i> the presidential election."},{"_id":"MNOLBG6D5FDNVNH5OQ37PIBPCY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729279951576},"type":"text","content":"With Election Day looming, the courts are batting away attempts by MAGAistas to sway the race their way."},{"_id":"H6ZAOOKIHRAG5ISTVOCUQVXV7U","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729272981132},"type":"text","content":"Last time, after being declared the loser, former President Donald Trump and his acolytes tried lying, cajoling, suing, threatening and even rioting to undo the election results."},{"_id":"CPNFQBN5CBG3BN5YXLLN7LYQHA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729279951578},"type":"text","content":"This time, there has been an effort by Georgia’s rogue State Election Board, and from a host of others, to create a framework for Trump to chip away at the electoral system if he loses again."},{"_id":"C7PS57CNWBDCRP6EEMDF7GJM4Q","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729272981133},"type":"text","content":"The efforts, passed in the name of election fairness, could create chaos. And into that chaotic void, MAGA faithful could sweep away the normal democratic electoral safeguards to try to<a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/opinion/columnists/opinion-election-board-sets-the-path-to-trump-victory-if-he-loses/RBJRWQDEMFC73HYKPBN2OJ5WZM/\" target=\"_blank\"> weasel their guy back into office</a>."},{"_id":"4OF2LW5QCRGIXI5Y2VV7OWNFLE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729272981134},"type":"text","content":"In the past week, Fulton County Superior Court <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/judge-strikes-down-georgias-abortion-ban/4PWIUSQDMNAPRNRQ6HEA7LPQC4/\" target=\"_blank\">Judge Robert McBurney</a>, who seemingly is attached to an <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/opinion/columnists/opinion-fulton-judge-mcburney-the-states-hardest-working-person-in-robes/CLRQB57I5RH45O5IX2OH64AGUU/\" target=\"_blank\">inordinate number of high-profile cases</a>, slapped down two efforts to open the door for Trump if he doesn’t win."},{"_id":"ZMJIBIYDMFEK3EG6RQFD4OPR3U","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729272981135},"type":"text","content":"First, McBurney r<a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/a-judge-ruled-that-county-election-board-members-in-georgia-must-certify-elections/635RIP3ILBC4ZH5AGMMSQXPYBQ/\" target=\"_blank\">ejected a lawsuit by Julie Adams</a>, a Republican Fulton County Election Board member, that sought to allow county election boards across Georgia to refuse to certify election results."},{"_id":"VK3RXQS7BBEYBO6USPQDRQ6TSI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729278434922},"type":"text","content":"Adams, by the way, voted earlier this year not to certify this year’s presidential primary because she wanted to review reams of election documents and was turned down. But she didn’t get her way; the Fulton board certified the results by a 3-2 vote along party lines."},{"owner":{"id":"ajc"},"copyright":"Jenni Girtman","address":{},"auth":{"1":"d8dca2297c3b415652cafdda214ce127c97225e726089b3665cebc2f8faf068f"},"caption":"Members of the Fulton County Registration and Elections Board including Chairperson Cathy Woolard, left, and Julie Adams, board member, meet on Tuesday, June 18, 2024. (Jenni Girtman for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)","source":{"system":"AJC Freelancer","name":"AJC Freelancer","edit_url":"","source_type":"wires","source_id":"s3://ajc-arc-photo-integration/Freelancer/aajc 0xxx24 fulton elections board meeting-0005.jpg","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"}},"taxonomy":{"associated_tasks":["666d878d63197613d9d6df60"],"seo_keywords":["AJC Freelancer"]},"type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"custom","name":"AJC Freelancer","category":"wires"},"version":"0.10.9","url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/IZ4EXDHFKH2OZRKHU32ZS5NIUE.jpg","licensable":false,"credits":{"by":[{"name":"Jenni Girtman","type":"author"}]},"subtype":"Wires","width":3000,"_id":"IZ4EXDHFKH2OZRKHU32ZS5NIUE","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/qWKR8rD0UrtfiDCqr2R8TglwfIw=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/IZ4EXDHFKH2OZRKHU32ZS5NIUE.jpg","comments":[],"iptc_job_identifier":"666d878d63197613d9d6df60","keywords":["240618","AJC Freelancer","AJC","Atlanta Journal-Constitution","Jenni Girtman","Meeting","fulton Elections Board"],"proxyUrl":"/resizer/qWKR8rD0UrtfiDCqr2R8TglwfIw=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/IZ4EXDHFKH2OZRKHU32ZS5NIUE.jpg","takenOn":"2024-06-18T22:35:43Z","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/IZ4EXDHFKH2OZRKHU32ZS5NIUE.jpg","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/qWKR8rD0UrtfiDCqr2R8TglwfIw=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/IZ4EXDHFKH2OZRKHU32ZS5NIUE.jpg","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/0ktMuFU_e6IBm94SBopjsLc1BoY=/300x0/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/IZ4EXDHFKH2OZRKHU32ZS5NIUE.jpg","version":2,"originalName":"s3://ajc-arc-photo-integration/Freelancer/aajc 0xxx24 fulton elections board meeting-0005.jpg","mime_type":"image/jpeg","restricted":false,"galleries":[],"_id":"ACIPJVWHVNG3BLDMT4CRMJSYGI","iptc_title":"photographer"},"created_date":"2024-06-19T15:53:11Z","last_updated_date":"2024-07-11T21:45:08Z","height":2079},{"_id":"KANPC4HIBJAZHKQ4GTKYPSO6YU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729272981137},"type":"text","content":"“I am a Republican, but all I want is free and fair and transparent elections,” she said earlier this year."},{"_id":"VUJV2YN65ZC2JJ5AJAZFQIPFF4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729278434923},"type":"text","content":"Adams’ lawsuit before McBurney sought to make county certification of elections “discretionary,” rather than mandatory — like many Atlanta drivers treat red lights."},{"_id":"EYEEN6HSRFAYZOUKQKDY6SQTSE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729272981138},"type":"text","content":"But baked into her team’s arguments was an inventive — and outrageous — theory: That election boards could certify votes from a county overall <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/judge-georgia-election-certification-is-required-despite-new-rule/WHNJ3VH25BCATOGJAS55TGINFQ/\" target=\"_blank\">but exclude certain precincts</a> if they suspected fraud or discrepancies."},{"_id":"KAXXSXNXOVEMDMJPTK6JSDX5EE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729272981139},"type":"text","content":"McBurney noted this in his decision: “Under plaintiff’s view, (county election) superintendents are empowered ... to ignore or omit from certification those precincts or other collections of votes tainted by whatever error or fraud a superintendent may conclude has occurred.”"},{"_id":"FEZEKP7FOJDWNAMD4AJQUP24HY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729272981140},"type":"text","content":"Just pause and think about that. Election boards could dream up some pretense and then withhold the votes from <i>unfriendly </i>precincts and keep intact the votes from those they prefer. In a tight race, like what we saw in 2020, that could make a huge difference."},{"_id":"UTJQ3SJV4FADTKXM3IZCUXMX24","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729272981141},"type":"text","content":"<a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/a-judge-ruled-that-county-election-board-members-in-georgia-must-certify-elections/635RIP3ILBC4ZH5AGMMSQXPYBQ/\" target=\"_blank\">Nah, the judge ruled.</a>"},{"_id":"2QFBONYZXVDQXJBN2X62RIFCUY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729272981142},"type":"text","content":"In another lawsuit, McBurney last week paused a State Election Board rule that said county election workers must count the paper ballots at each precinct after the polls close to match them up with the vote totals on the machines."},{"_id":"OLHDL5XCIJFHRLOWCGJE6ANTHU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729272981143},"type":"text","content":"Sounds rational at first blush, right? The number of paper ballot receipts should match the number of votes recorded on the machines. But elections are messy and paper ballots get folded, lost or spoiled."},{"_id":"FMMW5UI7JJE67IYVOKAWCMWKN4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729272981144},"type":"text","content":"The concern here is that election deniers could use small discrepancies in totals to hammer home accusations that the election was rigged and the Dems are again up to no good. They could then loudly demand investigations, the halting of vote counts and certification."},{"_id":"ZO7YVCJI2FFQBN5IBIYWHQ3OJE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729278434932},"type":"text","content":"You know, they could go all 2020 again."},{"owner":{"id":"ajc"},"copyright":"2024 Atlanta Journal-Constitution","address":{},"auth":{"1":"2cbd8298e2c16932e641a9d62e0064969505f9f4a07ef094995a8e1c0f3eb071"},"caption":"An attorney representing the State Election Board, Robert Thomas, speaks with Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney during a Tuesday, October 15, 2024, hearing. Cobb County’s election board sued the State Election Board over the rules, arguing that they’re unreasonable and exceed the board’s authority.\r(Miguel Martinez / AJC)","source":{"system":"AJC Freelancer","name":"AJC Freelancer","edit_url":"","source_type":"wires","source_id":"s3://ajc-arc-photo-integration/Freelancer/Election Board 043_1.jpg","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"}},"taxonomy":{"associated_tasks":["670c37bf4c958720d01c5319"],"seo_keywords":["AJC Freelancer"]},"type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"custom","name":"AJC Freelancer","category":"wires"},"version":"0.10.9","url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/NULDYXJ3VTBXXVRA6MBI64MWXE.jpg","licensable":false,"credits":{"affiliation":[{"name":"Miguel Martinez-Jimenez","type":"author"}],"by":[{"name":"Miguel Martinez-Jimenez","type":"author"}]},"subtype":"Wires","subtitle":"Georgia’s new election rules are headed to court\r","width":8192,"_id":"NULDYXJ3VTBXXVRA6MBI64MWXE","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/3m53p-yyDTA2mBXRnUP33y14krM=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/NULDYXJ3VTBXXVRA6MBI64MWXE.jpg","iptc_source":"Atlanta Journal-Constitution","comments":[],"iptc_job_identifier":"670c37bf4c958720d01c5319","keywords":["AJC Freelancer","Judge Robert McBurney","State Election Board","Fulton County Superior Court"],"proxyUrl":"/resizer/3m53p-yyDTA2mBXRnUP33y14krM=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/NULDYXJ3VTBXXVRA6MBI64MWXE.jpg","takenOn":"2024-10-15T15:36:55Z","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/NULDYXJ3VTBXXVRA6MBI64MWXE.jpg","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/3m53p-yyDTA2mBXRnUP33y14krM=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/NULDYXJ3VTBXXVRA6MBI64MWXE.jpg","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/dgpYFTPh7e_f3UxUJXffCJ_0Ado=/300x0/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/NULDYXJ3VTBXXVRA6MBI64MWXE.jpg","version":2,"originalName":"s3://ajc-arc-photo-integration/Freelancer/Election Board 043_1.jpg","mime_type":"image/jpeg","restricted":false,"galleries":[],"_id":"OQDDXV6JAVBJTMUXO3IGAYVUJA","iptc_title":"Multimedia Photographer"},"created_date":"2024-10-15T15:40:37Z","last_updated_date":"2024-10-15T18:57:40Z","slug":"aajc 101524 election rules hearing","height":5464},{"_id":"ONS6PF72BVEOTFAQK6ZVCXGZCM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729272981145},"type":"text","content":"McBurney didn’t get into discussions of the rule’s validity. He said the State Election Board’s idea might even be good policy. But, he added, it’s simply too late in the process to undertake such an effort to train 7,500 workers across the state to count the ballots."},{"_id":"RKQWO2ML5RAJBC3KSYBWXLZAFI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729272981146},"type":"text","content":"“Administrative chaos,” is what he called it."},{"_id":"EVUS6SJDG5BIDHLDFBN24YVWYQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729272981147},"type":"text","content":"Later, in the same courthouse, another Fulton judge, Thomas Cox, invalidated seven new State Election Board rules, including one that allowed election boards to perform a “reasonable inquiry” of elections."},{"_id":"DIZ2YDMT35AZ5EMUUN3SRNKBOA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729272981148},"type":"text","content":"Now, “reasonable inquiry” sounds <i>reasonable</i>. But one must must usually cast a skeptical eye when something is sold as that."},{"_id":"WBD3ULVSMJEQJMUQYVHGCNVMEU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729272981149},"type":"text","content":"The problem is that “reasonable” is in the eye of the beholder. It is a subjective term and many people believe it will allow election deniers to try to delay, obfuscate and ultimately throw out votes under some pretext. Again, 2020 all over again."},{"_id":"57LOJGVH2NB53INXLMZFBRNYKE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729278434938},"type":"text","content":"The Republican Party has filed a notice of appeal. It’s unclear when — or if — that would be heard."},{"_id":"TVY64UJFGRCIHF5NTCACIYBOPE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729278434939},"type":"text","content":"The recent lawsuits saw a mixed-up mash that today’s elections create. There were both Democrats and Republicans suing to prevent the State Election Board’s latest offerings from coming into play. A fake <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/feds-step-up-investigation-of-fake-georgia-gop-electors/MFKV4TJISRFUFOI2T3YGGEBU7E/\" target=\"_blank\">Electoral College Elector named Brad Carver </a>was one of the attorneys pushing for the new State Election Board rules."},{"_id":"GHETYWEPZRGSHPWUGQQAZRSKDI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729278434940},"type":"text","content":"That five-person election board is controlled by three MAGA-leaning members. At a Georgia rally in August, Trump called them “pit bulls fighting for honesty, transparency and victory.”"},{"_id":"LFDRFELDQ5HABKOVMF5TKA74FE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729278434941},"type":"text","content":"The first two attributes are laudable. But the latter? Victory for whom? (That’s a rhetorical question.)"},{"_id":"N7LYKGHY2RDTLA3QS6AKIMX5KM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729278434942},"type":"text","content":"The pit bulls have resisted advice from fellow Republicans like Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, as well as Attorney General Chris Carr, who I suppose are getting ready to man their battle stations in a few weeks if this election is close in Georgia."}],"display_date":"2024-10-21T09:00:00Z","credits":{"by":[{"image":{"version":"0.5.8","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/e7ef0c5b-c33a-4581-8b37-6cbb7dcb343c.png"},"socialLinks":[{"site":"email","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"btorpy@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"https://twitter.com/billtorpy"}],"social_links":[{"site":"email","url":"btorpy@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","url":"https://twitter.com/billtorpy"}],"name":"Bill Torpy","description":"Bill Torpy, who writes about metro Atlanta for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, joined the newspaper in 1990.","_id":"bill-torpy","additional_properties":{"original":{"lastName":"Torpy","image":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/e7ef0c5b-c33a-4581-8b37-6cbb7dcb343c.png","role":"Columnist","education":[],"longBio":"Bill Torpy, who writes about metro Atlanta for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, joined the newspaper in 1990. He writes the metro column and has covered politics, government and countless stories about police, courts, the justice system and humanity in general. The Chicago native graduated from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Ill., and previously worked for the Daily Southtown in Chicago","org":"ajc","affiliations":"The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","bio":"Bill Torpy, who writes about metro Atlanta for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, joined the newspaper in 1990.","author_type":"Staff","type":"author","expertise":"7.16,10","firstName":"Bill","twitter":"https://twitter.com/billtorpy","books":[],"podcasts":[],"awards":[],"beat":"Metro columnist","custom_ajc_website":"ajc","_id":"bill-torpy","last_updated_date":"2023-06-12T22:45:24.641Z","bio_page":"/staff/bill-torpy/","byline":"Bill Torpy","email":"btorpy@ajc.com","status":true}},"type":"author","version":"0.5.8","url":"/staff/bill-torpy/"}]},"subtype":"Article","headlines":{"basic":"OPINION: MAGA and State Election Board schemes put on ice - for now"},"first_publish_date":"2024-10-21T09:00:03.548Z","taxonomy":{"primary_site":{"path":"/opinion/columnists","parent_id":"/opinion","name":"AJC Columnists","description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","_id":"/opinion/columnists","additional_properties":{"original":{"parent":{"AmpNav":"/opinion","default":"/opinion","MainMenu2024":"/opinion","BottomNav":null,"TopNavRedesign":null,"SectionMap":"/","MainMenuRedesign2021":null,"TopNav":null,"ComposerNav":"/opinion"},"site":{"section_comments_enabled":"Yes","site_description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","site_title":"AJC Columnists"},"navigation":{"nav_title":"AJC Columnists"},"inactive":false,"node_type":"section","name":"AJC Columnists","_id":"/opinion/columnists","ancestors":{"MainMenu2024":["/","/opinion"],"TopNavRedesign":[],"SectionMap":["/"],"MainMenuRedesign2021":[],"TopNav":[],"ComposerNav":["/opinion"]},"order":{"MainMenu2024":2002,"SectionMap":1068,"ComposerNav":2003}}},"type":"site","version":"0.5.8"},"sections":[{"path":"/opinion/columnists","parent":{"default":"/opinion"},"_website":"ajc","parent_id":"/opinion","name":"AJC Columnists","description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","_id":"/opinion/columnists","additional_properties":{"original":{"parent":{"AmpNav":"/opinion","default":"/opinion","MainMenu2024":"/opinion","BottomNav":null,"TopNavRedesign":null,"SectionMap":"/","MainMenuRedesign2021":null,"TopNav":null,"ComposerNav":"/opinion"},"site":{"section_comments_enabled":"Yes","site_description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","site_title":"AJC Columnists"},"navigation":{"nav_title":"AJC Columnists"},"inactive":false,"node_type":"section","_website":"ajc","name":"AJC Columnists","_id":"/opinion/columnists","ancestors":{"MainMenu2024":["/","/opinion"],"TopNavRedesign":[],"SectionMap":["/"],"MainMenuRedesign2021":[],"TopNav":[],"ComposerNav":["/opinion"]},"order":{"MainMenu2024":2002,"SectionMap":1068,"ComposerNav":2003}}},"_website_section_id":"ajc./opinion/columnists","type":"section","version":"0.6.0"}],"primary_section":{"path":"/opinion/columnists","name":"AJC Columnists"},"tags":[{"text":"torpy at large"},{"text":"atlanta-news-metro.ajc"},{"text":"torpy-rss"},{"text":"teamjennifer"}]},"label":{"custom_label":{"display":true,"text":"ONLY ON AJC: TORPY AT LARGE"}},"type":"story","last_updated_date":"2024-10-21T14:07:29.712Z","promo_items":{"basic":{"type":"reference"}},"canonical_url":"/opinion/columnists/opinion-maga-and-state-election-board-schemes-put-on-ice-for-now/JF52CRVLXBEIBBOGOT4QEHSVEA/","_id":"JF52CRVLXBEIBBOGOT4QEHSVEA"},{"content_elements":[{"_id":"MGHCIEML2JEQDCJ7DBGXJYYRWI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729165605255},"type":"text","content":"When I moved to Atlanta in February 2006, some of the first people I met in the city were recent transplants from Louisiana."},{"_id":"RCR4EQ6Y6VH43G72HOXQBFOWYE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729165605256},"type":"text","content":"I have a deep affection for Louisiana, where I spent childhood summers visiting my maternal grandparents, so I viewed those encounters as connections to my past. Some of those people have moved on, but the ones who stayed in Atlanta were a harbinger of America’s next great migration."},{"_id":"OVVPDRUPPRGL7PLUUI7QPPILKM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729165605258},"type":"text","content":"Six months earlier, Hurricane Katrina had swept through the bayou, decimating New Orleans and the coastlines and sending displaced residents to other places, including Atlanta."},{"_id":"MSHU4MZRHZHTTBVR4IIWGT5XPA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[{"pos":372,"comment":"Most of them were living in Texas but a fair number (3.4% of previous New Orleans residents) had settled in Atlanta, according to a 2014 study published in Demography."}],"comments":[],"_id":1729165605259},"type":"text","content":"One year later, almost half the adults from the New Orleans metro area had not returned home. Most of them were living in Texas but a fair number (3.4% of previous New Orleans residents) had settled in Georgia, according to a <a href=\"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4048822/\" target=\"_blank\">2014 study published in the population research journal “Demography.”</a> The majority of those who came to Georgia came to metro Atlanta and stayed. "},{"_id":"KXMBLF7Y5VDPRMSIGGZDZ6DEEU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729165605260},"type":"text","content":"This marked a significant moment in a movement that demographer and sociologist, Mathew Hauer, has predicted will eventually include 350,000 to 550,000 climate migrants coming to metro Atlanta as sea levels continue to rise in coastal cities."},{"_id":"NTIXGE2IRNASVDMKUR35PPB6NY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729165605261},"type":"text","content":"Extreme weather events such as hurricanes, wildfires, drought, coastal flooding and heat waves are changing how we live and many of us are unaware of or are in denial about what lies ahead."},{"_id":"DR3YMFPZLVA5LDQYE6YEUG3AWI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729172800947},"type":"text","content":"In this critical moment, with Georgia residents still reeling from the impact of Hurricane Helene and the state hosting Florida evacuees from Hurricane Milton, state and local leaders should feel compelled to jump-start the glacial pace at which we are addressing the challenges brought on by climate change."},{"_id":"DVGOGLKS7NFQJLGKGCGCDCFUYM","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"_id":"BHQZYF7GLZBQVBT4M6YEAVSO4I"},"type":"interstitial_link","content":"Parts of Georgia’s coast are sinking. See where the problem is worst","url":"https://www.ajc.com/news/business/parts-of-georgias-coast-are-sinking-see-where-the-problem-is-worst/F6WBI4DFBJD7BFHIZNZO2KEADA/"},{"_id":"55FI7CY33VGLNOYUGE534M3KE4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729165605264},"type":"text","content":"Hauer spent almost a decade directing the Applied Demography Program at the University of Georgia and his research is cited in <a href=\"https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374171735/onthemove\" target=\"_blank\">“On the Move” by Abrahm Lustgarten</a>, a detailed examination of how extreme weather will force many Americans to leave the cities they call home."},{"_id":"VSHJ34ODXJAQPC37KKEZEMATKY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729165605265},"type":"text","content":"Lustgarten has relied on Jairo Garcia, Atlanta’s former director of climate policy, to walk him through the city’s climate change efforts, beginning in 2017 when Garcia viewed Hauer’s research and realized the city would serve as a refuge for the entire southeastern region."},{"_id":"YQM3QXGUCBF7HASCI4JZNB7LN4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729165605266},"type":"text","content":"“Atlanta was not prepared then,” Garcia said, “And it is not prepared now to receive this number of climate immigrants.”"},{"_id":"RKW2IX7GKNHDFGDS5LWWZ5GF5I","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729165605267},"type":"text","content":"There has always been climate migration, but never quite at the pace or scale that we are likely to see in the coming decades. Even 10 years ago, the resettlement of people due to extreme weather had little precedent in America. Before Hurricane Katrina, there was Hurricane Andrew in 1992, which permanently displaced about 40,000 residents of Dade County, Florida. Most of them moved to the neighboring county."},{"_id":"LTG5EAULHZG3NJCVZD2JEXF6GE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729165605269},"type":"text","content":"But the South and the Southeast are home to the most climate-vulnerable counties, according to the <a href=\"https://climatevulnerabilityindex.org/\" target=\"_blank\">U.S. Climate Vulnerability Index</a>. So moving to the next county or even to the next state is increasingly like trading one extreme weather event for one that feels less extreme — hurricanes for heat waves, storm surges for flash floods, large wildfires for smaller wildfires."},{"_id":"RCCOLGVJKRBP5PMCYQFQSCGALI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729165605270},"type":"text","content":"Atlanta recently became the sixth largest metro in the U.S. even without the anticipated climate migration, bringing added pressure to our ongoing infrastructure challenges — including inadequate water supply, troubled stormwater drainage, lack of affordable housing, underfunded and underperforming public transportation, and horrible traffic."},{"_id":"IVDMXHXMONG37PYFP556SXKLIU","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"_id":"FRKCVEO7UFGS7JAARP7CZHB3QM"},"type":"interstitial_link","content":"Winter is coming. Here’s what it could have in store for Georgia","url":"https://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-news/noaa-issues-forecast-for-winter-in-georgia-and-the-rest-of-the-us/TY2244XHUBH4JL44HO5BJE2PDQ/"},{"_id":"6QIYAYJCHVCAPNO2WNEFCB4WVU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729165605271},"type":"text","content":"Solutions to these issues are delayed by bureaucracy and budgets but these are things that must change quickly to accommodate an influx of people, and as Lustgarten notes we will only see improvements in the places where political will and adequate funding intersect."},{"_id":"D5VH7UL6MBBNDBXO7E6TADGYY4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729172800955},"type":"text","content":"At the state level, leaders haven’t prioritized climate action and have often stymied efforts to address climate change. In Atlanta, city leaders have too often opted for climate solutions that favor economic growth and are supported by business leaders and real estate developers rather than protecting people living in the most vulnerable neighborhoods."},{"_id":"P6TLJB7DCJF47NSQXQXKPHZQHI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729172800956},"type":"text","content":"Local climate activists say the term resilience, which most every state and municipality has used to indicate some form of climate strategy, is increasingly meaningless, a catchall for scattered plans that likely do not include a road map for managing rapid in-migration."},{"_id":"5HRHSWKQRFAGTMUOXXF5VDWAGU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[{"pos":322,"comment":" in the nation"}],"comments":[],"_id":1729165605273},"type":"text","content":"On Monday, the Atlanta Regional Commission <a href=\"https://33n.atlantaregional.com/monday-mapday/welcome-to-atlanta\" target=\"_blank\">released data </a>showing the top 10 previous states of residence for in-migration to the 21-county Atlanta region. Florida, California and Texas claimed the top three spots. These are the most populous states in the nation, but they are also among the most climate-vulnerable states."},{"_id":"AR45J2JFONFOPFTYZ66BIGRWEY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[{"pos":29,"comment":"currently "}],"comments":[],"_id":1729172800958},"type":"text","content":"The northern half of Georgia sits in what Lustgarten called the heart of the sweet spot, the ideal livable climate for humans. Over the next 50 years, as the planet continues to warm, scientists predict ideal living conditions will inch northward."},{"_id":"OJJZCRX4CRFMBOGM45UNZE2Q3M","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729165605274},"type":"text","content":"Now is the time to ask if we have the political will at every level to plan for the possibility of a metro area forever changed by climate migration? If not, the sweet spot may not be so sweet."},{"_id":"4CEPMNHT3ZBBHOOFBCWCWE3EZM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729094337724},"type":"text","content":"<i>Read more on the Real Life blog (</i><a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/opinion/real-life-blog/\"><i>www.ajc.com/opinion/real-life-blog/</i></a><i>) and find Nedra on Facebook (</i><a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/AJCRealLifeColumn\"><i>www.facebook.com/AJCRealLifeColumn</i></a><i>) and X (</i><a href=\"https://twitter.com/nrhoneajc\"><i>@nrhoneajc</i></a><i>) or email her at </i><a href=\"mailto:Nedra.Rhone@ajc.com\"><i>nedra.rhone@ajc.com</i></a><i>.</i>"}],"display_date":"2024-10-18T09:00:00Z","credits":{"by":[{"image":{"version":"0.5.8","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/98f2f50c-d4da-49ae-9bde-27e4311ab5ad.png"},"socialLinks":[{"site":"email","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"nedra.rhone@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"https://twitter.com/nrhoneajc"}],"social_links":[{"site":"email","url":"nedra.rhone@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","url":"https://twitter.com/nrhoneajc"}],"name":"Nedra Rhone","description":"Nedra Rhone is a lifestyle columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution where she has been a reporter since 2006. A graduate of Columbia University School of Journalism, she enjoys writing about the people, places and events that define metro Atlanta.","_id":"nedra-rhone","additional_properties":{"original":{"lastName":"Rhone","image":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/98f2f50c-d4da-49ae-9bde-27e4311ab5ad.png","role":"Lifestyle Columnist","education":[{"name":"University of Pennsylvania, Bachelor's degree in Economics"},{"name":"Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism"}],"longBio":"Nedra Rhone is a lifestyle columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution where she has been a reporter since 2006. A graduate of Columbia University School of Journalism, she enjoys writing about the people, places and events that define metro Atlanta. She has written about style, entertainment, personal finance and the environment for the AJC. Previously, Rhone was a staff writer at Newsday where her first assignment was covering the devastating impact of 9/11 on the families and communities of Long Island. She later covered K-12 education for Long Island's 125 school districts and is a Pulitzer Prize finalist for her reporting on women in hip-hop. ","org":"ajc","affiliations":"The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","bio":"Nedra Rhone is a lifestyle columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution where she has been a reporter since 2006. A graduate of Columbia University School of Journalism, she enjoys writing about the people, places and events that define metro Atlanta.","expertise":"2,7,16","author_type":"Staff","firstName":"Nedra","twitter":"https://twitter.com/nrhoneajc","books":[],"podcasts":[],"awards":[],"custom_ajc_phone":"404-526-5465","custom_ajc_website":"ajc","_id":"nedra-rhone","last_updated_date":"2024-08-01T19:40:05.320Z","byline":"Nedra Rhone","email":"nedra.rhone@ajc.com","status":true}},"type":"author","version":"0.5.8"}]},"subtype":"Article","headlines":{"basic":"RHONE: Will climate change chase coastal residents to metro Atlanta? "},"first_publish_date":"2024-10-18T09:00:06.437Z","taxonomy":{"primary_site":{"path":"/opinion/columnists","parent_id":"/opinion","name":"AJC Columnists","description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","_id":"/opinion/columnists","additional_properties":{"original":{"parent":{"AmpNav":"/opinion","default":"/opinion","MainMenu2024":"/opinion","BottomNav":null,"TopNavRedesign":null,"SectionMap":"/","MainMenuRedesign2021":null,"TopNav":null,"ComposerNav":"/opinion"},"site":{"section_comments_enabled":"Yes","site_description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","site_title":"AJC Columnists"},"navigation":{"nav_title":"AJC Columnists"},"inactive":false,"node_type":"section","name":"AJC Columnists","_id":"/opinion/columnists","ancestors":{"MainMenu2024":["/","/opinion"],"TopNavRedesign":[],"SectionMap":["/"],"MainMenuRedesign2021":[],"TopNav":[],"ComposerNav":["/opinion"]},"order":{"MainMenu2024":2002,"SectionMap":1068,"ComposerNav":2003}}},"type":"site","version":"0.5.8"},"sections":[{"path":"/opinion/columnists","parent":{"default":"/opinion"},"_website":"ajc","parent_id":"/opinion","name":"AJC Columnists","description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","_id":"/opinion/columnists","additional_properties":{"original":{"parent":{"AmpNav":"/opinion","default":"/opinion","MainMenu2024":"/opinion","BottomNav":null,"TopNavRedesign":null,"SectionMap":"/","MainMenuRedesign2021":null,"TopNav":null,"ComposerNav":"/opinion"},"site":{"section_comments_enabled":"Yes","site_description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","site_title":"AJC Columnists"},"navigation":{"nav_title":"AJC Columnists"},"inactive":false,"node_type":"section","_website":"ajc","name":"AJC Columnists","_id":"/opinion/columnists","ancestors":{"MainMenu2024":["/","/opinion"],"TopNavRedesign":[],"SectionMap":["/"],"MainMenuRedesign2021":[],"TopNav":[],"ComposerNav":["/opinion"]},"order":{"MainMenu2024":2002,"SectionMap":1068,"ComposerNav":2003}}},"_website_section_id":"ajc./opinion/columnists","type":"section","version":"0.6.0"},{"path":"/opinion","parent":{"default":"/"},"_website":"ajc","parent_id":"/","name":"Opinion","description":"Opinion articles from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{"sponsor":{"sponsor_url_open_new_tab":"false","sponsor_desktop_banner":"","sponsor_mobile_banner":"","sponsor_url":""},"parent":{"AmpNav":"/","subnav_opinion":null,"TopicsBar2023":"/","BottomNav":null,"TopNavRedesign":null,"SectionMap":"/","TopNav":null,"TopicsBar":null,"ComposerNav":"/","subnav_homepage":null,"default":"/","MainMenu2024":"/","MainMenuRedesign2021":null},"site":{"site_url":"/opinion/","section_comments_enabled":"Yes","site_description":"Opinion articles from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","site_title":"Opinion"},"navigation":{"nav_title":"Opinion"},"inactive":false,"node_type":"section","_website":"ajc","name":"Opinion","_id":"/opinion","ancestors":{"subnav_opinion":[],"TopicsBar2023":["/"],"MainMenu2024":["/"],"TopNavRedesign":[],"SectionMap":["/"],"MainMenuRedesign2021":[],"TopNav":[],"TopicsBar":[],"ComposerNav":["/"],"subnav_homepage":[]},"order":{"AmpNav":1033,"TopicsBar2023":1008,"default":1083,"MainMenu2024":1008,"SectionMap":1086,"ComposerNav":1011}}},"_website_section_id":"ajc./opinion","type":"section","version":"0.6.0"}],"primary_section":{"path":"/opinion/columnists","name":"AJC Columnists"},"tags":[{"text":"lifestyle"},{"text":"atlanta-news-metro.ajc"},{"text":"real life blog"},{"text":"teamdan"},{"text":"environment"},{"text":"opinion"},{"text":"opt-test"}]},"label":{"tease_label":{"display":true,"text":"Opinion"},"custom_label":{"display":true,"text":"Real Life with Nedra Rhone"}},"type":"story","last_updated_date":"2024-10-18T16:26:24.969Z","promo_items":{"basic":{"credits":{"affiliation":[{"name":"NYT","type":"author"}],"by":[{"name":"CAITLIN OCHS","type":"author"}]},"subtitle":"People wait in line to get gas at a filling station near Bradenton, Fla., after Hurricane Milton, Oct. 11, 2024. (Caitlin Ochs/The New York Times)","width":4500,"caption":"Extreme weather is resulting in the next great migration of Americans as residents in coastal areas seek refuge in cities like Atlanta. Here people wait in line to get gas at a filling station near Bradenton, Fla., after Hurricane Milton, Oct. 11, 2024. (Caitlin Ochs/The New York Times)","type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"6fa12dc0-f99c-4219-910f-a0a911a4d4c7"},"url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/75OI2OSCUZA4Y77RFWPCPPIICY.jpg","height":3123}},"canonical_url":"/opinion/columnists/opinion-will-climate-change-chase-coastal-residents-to-metro-atlanta/4E2ABDL5BVFWNMBTMGPW5Q6JAU/","_id":"4E2ABDL5BVFWNMBTMGPW5Q6JAU"},{"content_elements":[{"_id":"L6EVEKFHAZHQDIABP2MLXRH5UU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728997843490},"type":"text","content":"Hold the pickle, hold the lettuce, special orders don’t upset us."},{"_id":"5MJK3BE6YNCDXBDAUQWLKDW244","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729025974331},"type":"text","content":"It seems the long-ago promise of Burger King — “Have it your way!” — still resonates with Cobb County Sheriff Craig Owens."},{"_id":"QJSEAPFRK5AMZINU4XZK6TNP4Y","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728997843492},"type":"text","content":"Now, we always knew the “flame-broiled” Whopper that you unwrapped never looked as enticing as it did in the ads. The meat wasn’t as perfectly juicy and sizzling, the bun wasn’t as heavenly plump, the lettuce a bit wilted."},{"_id":"THQCSDYUWFAQNPHPENUCE2GLME","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729025974333},"type":"text","content":"Still, we usually shrugged and wolfed that sucker down. Despite the royalty attached to the name, what did you expect?"},{"_id":"Z2B7LD24GVCPLIBNZKZKSJSZ7E","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729025974335},"type":"text","content":"The good sheriff has higher standards. He simply won’t settle and will employ the police power of state to make sure The King lives up to his lofty vows."},{"_id":"4OS5ECANKFEJJP7ZQ3OWAGVZAQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729025974336},"type":"text","content":"And because of that, Owens has become a punchline, seen as an imperious leader quick to have his underlings do his bidding, no matter how petty."},{"_id":"SAFSSB2VXBGLHKNUKPVGWNPOCI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729025974337},"type":"text","content":"And what’s more petty than having armed<a href=\"https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/cobb-county/cobb-county-sheriff-called-deputies-help-after-burger-king-got-his-order-wrong/4WWTGFHTVNAZVJD2S77GHVO5RU/\" target=\"_blank\"> deputies rush to the scene of a fast-food joint</a> to help an unhappy boss wage a complaint?"},{"_id":"5O2OPJDF25HTHHAY2M4OGFGC5E","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729025974338},"type":"text","content":"I guess we can be thankful he didn’t call SWAT."},{"owner":{"sponsored":false,"id":"ajc"},"address":{},"syndication":{},"auth":{"1":"e7eb90ef21e0af1f72936cd8ce3040176fbcc450e2f3b013f52875635f0a6a7e"},"caption":"View from the dashcam of a Cobb County Sheriff's deputy arriving at a Burger King where their boss had a beef with fast food workers. (Courtesy)","source":{"system":"photo center","name":"AJC","edit_url":"","source_type":"staff","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"}},"taxonomy":{"associated_tasks":[]},"type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"8aec2b8c-455c-4816-903d-79fc8fdf8019"},"version":"0.10.9","url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/ARYN4U72IRGBTMXJO4RP7YTVUA.jpg","licensable":false,"credits":{"affiliation":[{"name":"Cobb County Sheriff's Department","type":"author"}],"by":[{"name":"Cobb County Sheriff's Department","type":"author","byline":"Cobb County Sheriff's Department"}]},"subtitle":"Cobb County sheriff Whopper controversy","width":960,"creditIPTC":"Cobb County Sheriff's Department","_id":"ARYN4U72IRGBTMXJO4RP7YTVUA","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/f_hwWgdoR0JG2t6mLg8Wl6WN8tM=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/ARYN4U72IRGBTMXJO4RP7YTVUA.jpg","owner":"william.torpy@ajc.com","comments":[],"keywords":[],"proxyUrl":"/resizer/f_hwWgdoR0JG2t6mLg8Wl6WN8tM=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/ARYN4U72IRGBTMXJO4RP7YTVUA.jpg","takenOn":"2024-10-15T15:06:07Z","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/ARYN4U72IRGBTMXJO4RP7YTVUA.jpg","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/f_hwWgdoR0JG2t6mLg8Wl6WN8tM=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/ARYN4U72IRGBTMXJO4RP7YTVUA.jpg","ingestionMethod":"manual","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/YGfecOZy2wav7AT33PgZKwKJf_s=/300x0/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/ARYN4U72IRGBTMXJO4RP7YTVUA.jpg","version":0,"originalName":"owens BK arrive.jpg","mime_type":"image/jpeg","restricted":false,"template_id":594,"galleries":[],"_id":"FHZNR7TS4FHULJF676AVJF2CYA"},"created_date":"2024-10-15T21:53:58Z","last_updated_date":"2024-10-15T21:53:58Z","height":554,"image_type":"photograph"},{"_id":"5VHHAWPJRFATTCQGZKIUIZ3YYA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729025974339},"type":"text","content":"Owens, a retired Cobb police major, is the county’s first-ever African American sheriff, elected in 2020, and has largely kept out of the limelight. That is, until in March 2023 when he thought it was a bright idea to <a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/share/v/4o8zdNBy6pLAgUWA/\" target=\"_blank\">call his office to send some deputies to help in his dispute.</a>"},{"_id":"7G5NTIR2Q5F4XNZN5DLF4YI5ZQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729025974340},"type":"text","content":"WSB-TV broke this odd news whopper last week, showing police bodycams doing the work they were intended to provide. The truth."},{"_id":"CYS5NFZQDVCPHG4RFRVUJDO6HU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729025974341},"type":"text","content":"The cameras show deputies, three of them, speeding with sirens blazing to the scene of the ... um, not <i>crime</i>, exactly. To the scene of the alleged mistaken order."},{"_id":"HE67GJNARFHZXG5PGBGE7LRBUU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729025974342},"type":"text","content":"The deputies pulled up and the sheriff, sitting in his Supersized pickup, explained the emergency. His wife was hungry and, “I wanted to order her a Whopper with no mayo, cut in half, right?”"},{"_id":"KJFTFK5DMFB4RNKYZNKXPV5I64","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729025974343},"type":"text","content":"He informed the officers he told the Burger King workers the order was wrong and did not receive satisfaction from them."},{"_id":"HE67GJNARFHZXG5PGBGE7LRBUU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729025974344},"type":"text","content":"“I don’t need no damn money back no more,” he said. “I just need to find out who owns this place so I can do an official complaint.”"},{"_id":"E6COKMM63NGXTLPQRRUMJUFHAY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729025974345},"type":"text","content":"“OK, sir,” responded a bemused officer, who then knocked on the restaurant’s locked door."},{"_id":"OYRQHUU2KNDZ7LIAKUV67TDDNY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729025974346},"type":"text","content":"Although it was the middle of the day, the Burger King’s doors were locked. The assistant manager told deputies they’ve been threatened before and were concerned for their safety. They didn’t know the fellow fuming outside was a man sworn to provide that safety."},{"_id":"YPSPJ44M4VHQJNBUZOGJIXTZUA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729025974348},"type":"text","content":"Owens was off duty and out of uniform, so all the restaurant crew saw was a disgruntled fellow dressed in camo idling in his F-150 with a large dog barking in the back seat."},{"_id":"RFMUV434WRDZRMM4JXQIQRPBHM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729025974349},"type":"text","content":"Who wants to mess with that for $14 an hour?"},{"_id":"MR26FA7WHVCSRE4ARV2S6OBTFA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729029357674},"type":"text","content":"Threats and mayhem are <a href=\"https://labor.ucla.edu/press-release/fast-food-workers-face-increased-health-risks-and-labor-violations-during-pandemic/\" target=\"_blank\">nothing new for fast-food workers.</a> Things had <a href=\"https://thecounter.org/fast-food-workers-911-call-logs-workplace-customer-violence-mcdonalds-report/\" target=\"_blank\">gotten badly in recent years</a> and then even worse after the pandemic. It’s vicious cycle: The jobs are low-rung, workers are hard to get, the service gets worse and customers, paying more than ever, get frustrated and angry. YouTube is filled with videos such as <a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1BwfXZwQwo\" target=\"_blank\">“Fast food freakouts.”</a>"},{"_id":"A2I6ZH2IBJHWXJEQWBSDVDBJLM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729025974351},"type":"text","content":"Apparently realizing his boneheaded methods, <a href=\"https://www.wsbtv.com/video/local-video/cobb-sheriff-i-probably-should-have-just-drove-off-facing-controversy-over-burger-king-order/5a36412a-db5f-4de9-a37f-45f259922a51/\" target=\"_blank\">Owens this week gave WSB</a> an interview using the old my-wife-has-an-allergy excuse. She doesn’t do mayo."},{"_id":"UTPLZC2KNRB5LCMZ3IRJOQT32Q","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729025974352},"type":"text","content":"The sheriff said the assistant manager refused to change the order or even give him his hard-earned money back. (Owens<a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/neighborhoods/cobb/cobb-sheriff-to-receive-25k-pay-boost/NRVR4UIWR5G25G2RNYVJV76SNE/\" target=\"_blank\"> made $195,000 last year</a>.) He told WSB he never told the workers who he was and that they slammed the drive-thru window on him, leaving him with an uncut, mayo-slathered Whopper."},{"_id":"UCB74P3JGREAJNYOABNRUMMAM4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729025974353},"type":"text","content":"Asked why he escalated the situation, he said, “I thought the best thing to do was to call a deputy,” Owens said. “In hindsight, I probably should have just drove off and took the bad service and left and came back another day.”"},{"_id":"NPRFZDPDC5DVFPD36WZYX6WTPY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729029077179},"type":"text","content":"Ya think?!?"},{"owner":{"sponsored":false,"id":"ajc"},"address":{},"syndication":{},"auth":{"1":"6927d23a6609dae5bd1b806abe022268b8bb168232fb465aa3012e3d15e78a3f"},"caption":"Among the Cobb Chamber public safety award winners on Oct. 4 are (l-r, holding their Medals of Valor) Cobb County Police Officers David Cavender, John Pearson and Bryan Moore for their actions during a firefight with an armed carjacker in June 2020. Cavender was wounded during the incident and the suspect killed. (Courtesy of Cobb Chamber)","source":{"system":"photo center","name":"AJC","edit_url":"","source_type":"staff","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"}},"taxonomy":{"associated_tasks":[]},"type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"8aec2b8c-455c-4816-903d-79fc8fdf8019"},"version":"0.10.9","url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/EKWV4IMDHZFNRFM6EEDNCIQDSQ.jpg","licensable":false,"credits":{"affiliation":[]},"subtitle":"Cobb Chamber awards public safety heroes","width":2229,"_id":"EKWV4IMDHZFNRFM6EEDNCIQDSQ","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/7Ynls9-jI_XWkzqklXcULWQD4GQ=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/EKWV4IMDHZFNRFM6EEDNCIQDSQ.jpg","owner":"jodytributes@yahoo.com","comments":[],"keywords":[""],"proxyUrl":"/resizer/7Ynls9-jI_XWkzqklXcULWQD4GQ=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/EKWV4IMDHZFNRFM6EEDNCIQDSQ.jpg","takenOn":"2021-10-04T14:08:40Z","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/EKWV4IMDHZFNRFM6EEDNCIQDSQ.jpg","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/7Ynls9-jI_XWkzqklXcULWQD4GQ=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/EKWV4IMDHZFNRFM6EEDNCIQDSQ.jpg","ingestionMethod":"manual","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/RjAL2EDA6cvztiLdkbYACa83qiY=/300x0/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/EKWV4IMDHZFNRFM6EEDNCIQDSQ.jpg","version":0,"originalName":"Cobb public safety honored in 2021 by Cobb.jpg","mime_type":"image/jpeg","restricted":false,"template_id":594,"galleries":[],"_id":"NZPHSHY53VFP7NYJRHM3CBSFOA"},"created_date":"2021-10-05T03:52:43Z","last_updated_date":"2021-10-05T03:52:43Z","height":1186,"image_type":"photograph"},{"_id":"K4JP2UBALNCZBPSXGVO4XF45WU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729025974354},"type":"text","content":"David Cavender, Owens’ GOP opponent in next month’s election, says the 2023 episode demonstrates an abuse of power and a “sense of entitlement.”"},{"_id":"7T6XMBUZTZFGHHPIPKC3YXMBEA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729025974355},"type":"text","content":"“If this is how he deals with a wrong food order, I shudder to think how he handles a true emergency,” he told me."},{"_id":"52QO7RTCOREFPE5JVM2PPDLOTQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729025974356},"type":"text","content":"As to contentions he’s pulling a last-minute smear job on Owens, Cavender says he put in an open records request and didn’t get the videos until Sept. 24."},{"_id":"V5D7ZVUKNBGAVBGXUFIIJBTSDA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729025974357},"type":"text","content":"Also, he said the Burger King employee sent him an email. “He said the sheriff absolutely identified himself,” Cavender said."},{"_id":"A6MU27276ZBPTJ4357VKB5BOUU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729025974358},"type":"text","content":"Owens did not respond to calls or emails to his office."},{"_id":"65V5D6SJIBEJFMRLBUCH4ZF35I","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729025974359},"type":"text","content":"I called Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills, a veteran lawman who’s seen it all. Well, almost everything."},{"_id":"RDELFZ23FJHHNAHKIWM3SF3AYU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729025974360},"type":"text","content":"“I can’t imagine doing something like that,” said Sills. “In fact, I routinely get substandard meals and don’t complain.”"},{"_id":"VNQO256HQRA3LE7E5BOBSRLXVU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729025974361},"type":"text","content":"“I don’t know what he expected those cops to do,” he continued. “It’s obscene if you ask me. I just wouldn’t think of using them as my servants.”"},{"_id":"3MB7374FFVGNDKRYM7VCYSOMMI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729025974362},"type":"text","content":"It does put a new spin on the term “public service.”"},{"_id":"G4OTAW6K45BQHJWAQD4RE3OD2Q","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729025974363},"type":"text","content":"Sills teaches a course to incoming sheriffs about ethics. “I ask three questions,” he said. “What would it look like on the TV news? Is it legal? And what would your mama say.”"},{"_id":"ZXKCHJCTEBAFPAQPZNSPAD3RAE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729025974364},"type":"text","content":"I don’t know about the last one. And the second is probably not illegal. But it sure as heck played badly on TV."},{"_id":"RFMJP5XL2RHVHARPEYYQBEPQBE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729025974365},"type":"text","content":"<br/>"}],"display_date":"2024-10-16T09:08:48.24Z","credits":{"by":[{"image":{"version":"0.5.8","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/e7ef0c5b-c33a-4581-8b37-6cbb7dcb343c.png"},"socialLinks":[{"site":"email","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"btorpy@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"https://twitter.com/billtorpy"}],"social_links":[{"site":"email","url":"btorpy@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","url":"https://twitter.com/billtorpy"}],"name":"Bill Torpy","description":"Bill Torpy, who writes about metro Atlanta for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, joined the newspaper in 1990.","_id":"bill-torpy","additional_properties":{"original":{"lastName":"Torpy","image":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/e7ef0c5b-c33a-4581-8b37-6cbb7dcb343c.png","role":"Columnist","education":[],"longBio":"Bill Torpy, who writes about metro Atlanta for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, joined the newspaper in 1990. He writes the metro column and has covered politics, government and countless stories about police, courts, the justice system and humanity in general. The Chicago native graduated from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Ill., and previously worked for the Daily Southtown in Chicago","org":"ajc","affiliations":"The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","bio":"Bill Torpy, who writes about metro Atlanta for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, joined the newspaper in 1990.","author_type":"Staff","type":"author","expertise":"7.16,10","firstName":"Bill","twitter":"https://twitter.com/billtorpy","books":[],"podcasts":[],"awards":[],"beat":"Metro columnist","custom_ajc_website":"ajc","_id":"bill-torpy","last_updated_date":"2023-06-12T22:45:24.641Z","bio_page":"/staff/bill-torpy/","byline":"Bill Torpy","email":"btorpy@ajc.com","status":true}},"type":"author","version":"0.5.8","url":"/staff/bill-torpy/"}]},"subtype":"Article","headlines":{"basic":"OPINION: Cobb sheriff serves a Whopper of stupidity at Burger King "},"first_publish_date":"2024-10-16T09:08:48.24Z","taxonomy":{"primary_site":{"path":"/opinion/columnists","parent_id":"/opinion","name":"AJC Columnists","description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","_id":"/opinion/columnists","additional_properties":{"original":{"parent":{"AmpNav":"/opinion","default":"/opinion","MainMenu2024":"/opinion","BottomNav":null,"TopNavRedesign":null,"SectionMap":"/","MainMenuRedesign2021":null,"TopNav":null,"ComposerNav":"/opinion"},"site":{"section_comments_enabled":"Yes","site_description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","site_title":"AJC Columnists"},"navigation":{"nav_title":"AJC Columnists"},"inactive":false,"node_type":"section","name":"AJC Columnists","_id":"/opinion/columnists","ancestors":{"MainMenu2024":["/","/opinion"],"TopNavRedesign":[],"SectionMap":["/"],"MainMenuRedesign2021":[],"TopNav":[],"ComposerNav":["/opinion"]},"order":{"MainMenu2024":2002,"SectionMap":1068,"ComposerNav":2003}}},"type":"site","version":"0.5.8"},"sections":[{"path":"/opinion/columnists","parent":{"default":"/opinion"},"_website":"ajc","parent_id":"/opinion","name":"AJC Columnists","description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","_id":"/opinion/columnists","additional_properties":{"original":{"parent":{"AmpNav":"/opinion","default":"/opinion","MainMenu2024":"/opinion","BottomNav":null,"TopNavRedesign":null,"SectionMap":"/","MainMenuRedesign2021":null,"TopNav":null,"ComposerNav":"/opinion"},"site":{"section_comments_enabled":"Yes","site_description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","site_title":"AJC Columnists"},"navigation":{"nav_title":"AJC Columnists"},"inactive":false,"node_type":"section","_website":"ajc","name":"AJC Columnists","_id":"/opinion/columnists","ancestors":{"MainMenu2024":["/","/opinion"],"TopNavRedesign":[],"SectionMap":["/"],"MainMenuRedesign2021":[],"TopNav":[],"ComposerNav":["/opinion"]},"order":{"MainMenu2024":2002,"SectionMap":1068,"ComposerNav":2003}}},"_website_section_id":"ajc./opinion/columnists","type":"section","version":"0.6.0"}],"primary_section":{"path":"/opinion/columnists","name":"AJC Columnists"},"tags":[{"text":"torpy at large"},{"text":"atlanta-news-metro.ajc"},{"text":"torpy-rss"},{"text":"teamjennifer"}]},"label":{"custom_label":{"display":true,"text":"ONLY ON AJC: TORPY AT LARGE"}},"type":"story","last_updated_date":"2024-10-16T19:30:08.979Z","promo_items":{"basic":{"credits":{"affiliation":[{"name":"Courtesy photo","type":"author"}],"by":[{"name":"Cobb County Sheriff's Department","type":"author","byline":"Cobb County Sheriff's Department"}]},"subtitle":"Cobb County Sheriff Craig Owens","width":928,"caption":"Cobb County Sheriff Craig Owens tells deputies to get some info from the manager of a Burger King that he said botched his order. (Courtesy)","type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"8aec2b8c-455c-4816-903d-79fc8fdf8019"},"url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/AJXZEBNKTVCMNBI6BJIG67LEMY.jpg","height":531}},"canonical_url":"/opinion/columnists/opinion-cobb-sheriff-serves-a-whopper-of-stupidity-at-burger-king/Y4R6GHW4NND57GCDYNTGEEWPCA/","_id":"Y4R6GHW4NND57GCDYNTGEEWPCA"},{"content_elements":[{"_id":"5F7UXET7TVEAZJVYXMJPYHCSZA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728954081904},"type":"text","content":"I learned about the trad wife trend last year when a friend, on the cusp between Gen X and millennial, told me about these beautiful women who make videos of themselves cleaning the house, cooking elaborate meals or playing with their kids. All of these tasks are accomplished while the women are dressed in stylish clothing and wearing a full face of makeup."},{"_id":"LBBLRRWFTBE2XPIXLESTL2N63M","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728959035374},"type":"text","content":"These trad wives, aka traditional wives, post content on social media platforms designed to celebrate the strict gender roles of yesteryear in 30-second clips that make the job of maintaining a home and raising children look not just inviting but easy. Sometimes that trip back in time is bolstered by religious and political commentary."},{"_id":"76ETTEXNZVGRLEVDS7OAC4B55Q","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728959035375},"type":"text","content":"My favorite trad wife to watch is Nara Smith, a model who is married to a Mormon model/actor. Smith doesn’t claim to be part of the trad wife trend but she is one of the most mentioned content creators whenever the topic of trad wives comes up."},{"_id":"YXCAFCSLDBEJ5A4NPOP6VIGWUM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728959035376},"type":"text","content":"I am shocked and awed watching her make things like flaming hot Cheetos, bubble gum and hot dogs from scratch. She creates these meals and snacks with vague references to the number of hours required to prepare them and zero insight into how she manages to cook entire meals without getting a splash or splatter of food on her designer outfits."},{"_id":"HASL5XGDWFCNFCW26NG3JJCCNI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728959035377},"type":"text","content":"No matter what she is doing, Smith is always camera ready but that’s not a big reach for a professional model. I wanted to know what it was like for other women who are embracing the trad wife life. When I Googled “trad wives in Georgia,” a few women popped up."},{"_id":"PR74JATS2BABDNB4MZZAUPF6OQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728959035378},"type":"text","content":"One woman who lives in Atlanta and recently left a job at Google to pursue the trad wife life, was not available for an interview. Another woman, Carly McCurry, 30, who spent five years teaching before deciding to stay at home last year when her daughter was born, agreed to chat with me."},{"_id":"6M4PYB673JA4BDMOJ5O4QW5JNE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728959035379},"type":"text","content":"McCurry doesn’t consider herself a trad wife but she has posted editorial content on the topic and is supportive of the trend. “I think it is an overall positive as long as you can understand that it is a very polished view of staying at home,” McCurry said when we talked by phone."},{"_id":"NN5TM5G2RZA5FKIYKFZM7QDUA4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728959035380},"type":"text","content":"Among her friends, all college-educated women married to college-educated men, it has been a growing choice to not work outside the home and to focus on raising their children, McCurry said. Months after discovering that her newborn slept a lot, McCurry used her hours of free time to launch a digital publication, <a href=\"https://thecutenorthgeorgian.com/\" target=\"_blank\">The Cute North Georgian</a>, which offers curated experiences for locals in the area."},{"_id":"TCDA4M44E5EB3PYLFHWHZZVFYM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728959035381},"type":"text","content":"When she and her husband made the lifestyle change from two incomes to one, it meant sacrificing vacations and restaurant meals, she said, “but it is sacrifice with a lowercase s.” McCurry said she and her friends fall in the middle to upper middle class income ranges. The decision for her to stay at home was an economic stopgap — the best daycares in Habersham County would have consumed half her salary, she said — and something she and her husband wanted."},{"_id":"6M4PYB673JA4BDMOJ5O4QW5JNE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728959035382},"type":"text","content":"If anything, the boom in trad wife content has made it easier for women to make the choice to stay at home while still earning money, McCurry said. And it has helped ease pressure on millennials who have no desire to be part of the “girlboss” movement that took hold in the ’90s and pushed young women to adopt a hustle mentality."},{"_id":"X3AAXVNKLFEWVODWQBJFEWA35M","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728959035383},"type":"text","content":"I get that. These are the parts of the trad wife trend I support as well. What gives me pause is the unsettling feeling that the trend has also offered a convenient avenue for opportunists to push a singular view of what American families should be."},{"_id":"OKBBVLTFMVG6HG6KJJXYX572SA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728959035384},"type":"text","content":"Trad wives don’t exist in isolation. They have taken root at a time when women’s reproductive rights are under attack. It is a moment when we have a vice-presidential candidate who once proposed limiting the voting rights of anyone without children."},{"_id":"2H6U272PLNCFPKOVJ7XR6JCZ2A","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728959035385},"type":"text","content":"Co-opting the trad wife trend to elevate certain ideologies shifts our focus from continuing to push for policies that allow all women to have choices. It distracts us from closely examining how American society has failed women both in and outside of the workplace."},{"_id":"YX3RPOLIVRHGNE2CXPHRMKM6SI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728959035386},"type":"text","content":"On the surface, the trad wife movement is fun entertainment. On a deeper level, it feels like an alarm bell signaling that many women have lost faith in the possibility of a more egalitarian society."},{"_id":"KGA4SDVJMJA3TESSFDGJ4RK3J4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729004442182},"type":"text","content":"Rather than fighting to change systemic issues such as the limited support for working families and persistent gender inequality — factors that are often at play in a woman’s decision to work or not work — we buy into an ideal that feels easier, simpler and less stressful, at least on social media."},{"_id":"5SX3OKVCIRANNMATCFYI47R2NI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728959035387},"type":"text","content":"But as Jane O’Reilly wrote in a 1972 essay for Ms. Magazine, women are not as far apart as they may think they are. “In the end, we are all housewives, the natural people to turn to when there is something unpleasant, inconvenient or inconclusive to be done,” O’Reilly wrote. “It will not do for women who have jobs to pretend that society’s ills will be cured if all women are gainfully employed.”"},{"_id":"PD2NNF6G3RBHZHKFZGTUNOIXAI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728959035388},"type":"text","content":"Or conversely, if all women stayed at home with their kids."},{"_id":"WE2GCUAXLBHLDLXFCED4BDEATA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728959035389},"type":"text","content":"If the trad wife trend helps women who want to stay home with their children feel more empowered to do so, that’s a good thing. But we can’t allow the trend to force a return to the past."},{"_id":"Z5LC53KO2RDCPE5SKE2UHAG3Y4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1729004442186},"type":"text","content":"We must continue to challenge oppressive structures and support gender equality for all women because true liberation can’t be traded for homemade flaming hot Cheetos."},{"_id":"WZIGRQOLPJFWDL6J6MO4ZC246Y","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728954081906},"type":"text","content":"<i>Read more on the Real Life blog (</i><a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/opinion/real-life-blog/\"><i>www.ajc.com/opinion/real-life-blog/</i></a><i>) and find Nedra on Facebook (</i><a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/AJCRealLifeColumn\"><i>www.facebook.com/AJCRealLifeColumn</i></a><i>) and X (</i><a href=\"https://twitter.com/nrhoneajc\"><i>@nrhoneajc</i></a><i>) or email her at </i><a href=\"mailto:Nedra.Rhone@ajc.com\"><i>nedra.rhone@ajc.com</i></a><i>.</i>"}],"display_date":"2024-10-16T09:00:00Z","credits":{"by":[{"image":{"version":"0.5.8","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/98f2f50c-d4da-49ae-9bde-27e4311ab5ad.png"},"socialLinks":[{"site":"email","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"nedra.rhone@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"https://twitter.com/nrhoneajc"}],"social_links":[{"site":"email","url":"nedra.rhone@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","url":"https://twitter.com/nrhoneajc"}],"name":"Nedra Rhone","description":"Nedra Rhone is a lifestyle columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution where she has been a reporter since 2006. A graduate of Columbia University School of Journalism, she enjoys writing about the people, places and events that define metro Atlanta.","_id":"nedra-rhone","additional_properties":{"original":{"lastName":"Rhone","image":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/98f2f50c-d4da-49ae-9bde-27e4311ab5ad.png","role":"Lifestyle Columnist","education":[{"name":"University of Pennsylvania, Bachelor's degree in Economics"},{"name":"Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism"}],"longBio":"Nedra Rhone is a lifestyle columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution where she has been a reporter since 2006. A graduate of Columbia University School of Journalism, she enjoys writing about the people, places and events that define metro Atlanta. She has written about style, entertainment, personal finance and the environment for the AJC. Previously, Rhone was a staff writer at Newsday where her first assignment was covering the devastating impact of 9/11 on the families and communities of Long Island. She later covered K-12 education for Long Island's 125 school districts and is a Pulitzer Prize finalist for her reporting on women in hip-hop. ","org":"ajc","affiliations":"The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","bio":"Nedra Rhone is a lifestyle columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution where she has been a reporter since 2006. A graduate of Columbia University School of Journalism, she enjoys writing about the people, places and events that define metro Atlanta.","expertise":"2,7,16","author_type":"Staff","firstName":"Nedra","twitter":"https://twitter.com/nrhoneajc","books":[],"podcasts":[],"awards":[],"custom_ajc_phone":"404-526-5465","custom_ajc_website":"ajc","_id":"nedra-rhone","last_updated_date":"2024-08-01T19:40:05.320Z","byline":"Nedra Rhone","email":"nedra.rhone@ajc.com","status":true}},"type":"author","version":"0.5.8"}]},"subtype":"Article","headlines":{"basic":"RHONE: The trad wife trend is both fun and unsettling "},"first_publish_date":"2024-10-16T09:00:00.73Z","taxonomy":{"primary_site":{"path":"/opinion/columnists","parent_id":"/opinion","name":"AJC Columnists","description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","_id":"/opinion/columnists","additional_properties":{"original":{"parent":{"AmpNav":"/opinion","default":"/opinion","MainMenu2024":"/opinion","BottomNav":null,"TopNavRedesign":null,"SectionMap":"/","MainMenuRedesign2021":null,"TopNav":null,"ComposerNav":"/opinion"},"site":{"section_comments_enabled":"Yes","site_description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","site_title":"AJC Columnists"},"navigation":{"nav_title":"AJC Columnists"},"inactive":false,"node_type":"section","name":"AJC Columnists","_id":"/opinion/columnists","ancestors":{"MainMenu2024":["/","/opinion"],"TopNavRedesign":[],"SectionMap":["/"],"MainMenuRedesign2021":[],"TopNav":[],"ComposerNav":["/opinion"]},"order":{"MainMenu2024":2002,"SectionMap":1068,"ComposerNav":2003}}},"type":"site","version":"0.5.8"},"sections":[{"path":"/opinion/columnists","parent":{"default":"/opinion"},"_website":"ajc","parent_id":"/opinion","name":"AJC Columnists","description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","_id":"/opinion/columnists","additional_properties":{"original":{"parent":{"AmpNav":"/opinion","default":"/opinion","MainMenu2024":"/opinion","BottomNav":null,"TopNavRedesign":null,"SectionMap":"/","MainMenuRedesign2021":null,"TopNav":null,"ComposerNav":"/opinion"},"site":{"section_comments_enabled":"Yes","site_description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","site_title":"AJC Columnists"},"navigation":{"nav_title":"AJC Columnists"},"inactive":false,"node_type":"section","_website":"ajc","name":"AJC Columnists","_id":"/opinion/columnists","ancestors":{"MainMenu2024":["/","/opinion"],"TopNavRedesign":[],"SectionMap":["/"],"MainMenuRedesign2021":[],"TopNav":[],"ComposerNav":["/opinion"]},"order":{"MainMenu2024":2002,"SectionMap":1068,"ComposerNav":2003}}},"_website_section_id":"ajc./opinion/columnists","type":"section","version":"0.6.0"},{"path":"/opinion","parent":{"default":"/"},"_website":"ajc","parent_id":"/","name":"Opinion","description":"Opinion articles from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{"sponsor":{"sponsor_url_open_new_tab":"false","sponsor_desktop_banner":"","sponsor_mobile_banner":"","sponsor_url":""},"parent":{"AmpNav":"/","subnav_opinion":null,"TopicsBar2023":"/","BottomNav":null,"TopNavRedesign":null,"SectionMap":"/","TopNav":null,"TopicsBar":null,"ComposerNav":"/","subnav_homepage":null,"default":"/","MainMenu2024":"/","MainMenuRedesign2021":null},"site":{"site_url":"/opinion/","section_comments_enabled":"Yes","site_description":"Opinion articles from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","site_title":"Opinion"},"navigation":{"nav_title":"Opinion"},"inactive":false,"node_type":"section","_website":"ajc","name":"Opinion","_id":"/opinion","ancestors":{"subnav_opinion":[],"TopicsBar2023":["/"],"MainMenu2024":["/"],"TopNavRedesign":[],"SectionMap":["/"],"MainMenuRedesign2021":[],"TopNav":[],"TopicsBar":[],"ComposerNav":["/"],"subnav_homepage":[]},"order":{"AmpNav":1033,"TopicsBar2023":1008,"default":1083,"MainMenu2024":1008,"SectionMap":1086,"ComposerNav":1011}}},"_website_section_id":"ajc./opinion","type":"section","version":"0.6.0"}],"primary_section":{"path":"/opinion/columnists","name":"AJC Columnists"},"tags":[{"text":"lifestyle"},{"text":"atlanta-news-metro.ajc"},{"text":"real life blog"},{"text":"teamdan"},{"text":"UATL"},{"text":"parenting"},{"text":"opinion"}]},"label":{"tease_label":{"display":true,"text":"OPINION"},"custom_label":{"display":true,"text":"Real Life with Nedra Rhone"}},"type":"story","last_updated_date":"2024-10-16T16:18:33.034Z","promo_items":{"basic":{"credits":{"by":[{"name":"nara smith ","type":"author","byline":"nara smith "}]},"subtitle":"Nara Smith","width":633,"caption":"Nara Smith, a model and influencer, is one of the most referenced content creators of the trad wife trend. Though Smith does not claim to be a trad wife, her videos portray a glamorized version of being a stay-at-home mom that are both fun and unsettling. Image Credit: @Nara Smith/ Tik Tok","type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"8aec2b8c-455c-4816-903d-79fc8fdf8019"},"url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/CXKPQ6VFAZDTVOPJGI5ZU6WCCU.jpg","height":475}},"canonical_url":"/opinion/columnists/rhone-the-trad-wife-trend-is-both-fun-and-unsettling/OSKZ6YRFC5BSPIIVVXV3RBSU7I/","_id":"OSKZ6YRFC5BSPIIVVXV3RBSU7I"},{"content_elements":[{"_id":"IKEFT7JN6JBK5JPDK5CKA6JLQM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728504710534},"type":"text","content":"It’s said you can never go home again."},{"_id":"IWP33LID2RGJFPQ2KYFGDDX4IQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728504710535},"type":"text","content":"But for generations, I, like many members of the extended Gilligan family, have done just that. We returned to Limerick, Ireland, to an ancient home called Peters Cell."},{"_id":"ZW464B2KQRAA3CPBGIJOCBS3J4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728586961911},"type":"text","content":"The last time I was standing at its gate — in 2015 — I choked back tears. I knew my ailing mother,<a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/news/local/bill-torpy-large-trip-through-the-irish-mists-mom-mind/nLu79z6q31X3UNOjDGL7pK/\" target=\"_blank\"> who I had accompanied to Ireland, </a>would never again see the old place. And I was sure it’d be the last time I saw Uncle Joe, the proprietor, who was well into his 90s."},{"_id":"E5RR7N623RGAXE3IDNLPFBLRP4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728586961912},"type":"text","content":"Limerick is an ancient, gray city in the west of Ireland, a one-time dock town whose greatest export has been its people. My mother, the former Helen Gilligan, and six of her seven surviving siblings, all departed their home in the 1950s and 1960s for Chicago."},{"_id":"FYKDPCKYFZG5VJFZMHIY5PHGVA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728504710537},"type":"text","content":"Ever since, Peters Cell beckoned."},{"_id":"XFLM3ETXCVG7XIHE4OCUNHEQD4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728504710538},"type":"text","content":"Basic facts about the home and our family’s ownership are murky — Ireland is imbued with mystic lore and it holds true here."},{"owner":{"sponsored":false,"id":"ajc"},"address":{},"syndication":{},"auth":{"1":"7ab0d85297f18e569554e6d8005abe39d4454392a7afa1a3611573a7190ebfb3"},"caption":"Peters Cell home in Limerick, Ireland, during a renovation 40 years ago when the old granite walls were exposed. 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The name comes from the Augustinian nunnery erected there in 1171 — the nuns lived in tiny rooms called <i>cells</i>. But construction of the current house is unknown. My great grandfather, John Gilligan, made it his home about 150 years ago and my grandfather, Willie, as well as most of his own children, were born there."},{"_id":"4EUE2UH64ZAALGXB247RLGX4TU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728504710540},"type":"text","content":"The abode is a three-story granite structure surrounded by seven-foot walls and it adjoins the remnants of the Walls of Limerick, built in the 1600s to withstand frequent sieges. Oliver Cromwell, William of Orange, they’ve all taken a whack at the old city."},{"_id":"BEAZV5YYFFDUXAFDRXCYA6MOOI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728586961917},"type":"text","content":"As a kid, the place gave me the creeps. There was an 1800s portrait of a stern John Gilligan, my great grandfather, whose gaze made the hair on your neck tingle. And the eyes on the paintings of spooky saints followed you around."},{"_id":"4A4CMR4MPRBB7A4SPLX3S7ZZPQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728575065957},"type":"text","content":"There’s a sense that phantoms of untold generations, of long forgotten souls who have traversed that land, linger."},{"_id":"BEVRYDAKKRHIDPF2XQH52HQDSY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728586961919},"type":"text","content":"As with any old home, there are stories."},{"_id":"BEAZV5YYFFDUXAFDRXCYA6MOOI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728586961920},"type":"text","content":"History says there was a Quaker graveyard on the site of Peters Cell, which has led to generations of ghost stories, including visions of nuns coming from the property after midnight. (It was assumed witnesses of such apparitions were pub goers.)"},{"owner":{"sponsored":false,"id":"ajc"},"address":{},"syndication":{},"auth":{"1":"3c586f4813ce58cd59c6be37812dac5a900d42511d141142013e0cf56dc1562c"},"caption":"Josie Gilligan, standing center, with her eight surviving children. Joe, is top left, and Torpy's mother, Helen, is bottom left. 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He once jumped the back wall to escape, after learning soldiers were coming to arrest him."},{"_id":"UAG6HAEW7RGWBDBVC7YHWAVRYM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728575065960},"type":"text","content":"In 1922 and 1923, Ireland devolved into a civil war when the hardcore IRA members, of which Willie was one, did not want to allow the country to be partitioned into north and south."},{"_id":"LNKDETCPLNBZBH77OUJXZ5LHJY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728575065961},"type":"text","content":"A recent cleaning of the house found the diary of my grandmother, Josie, from that time. She wrote about Willie going out for days on IRA “columns” — guerilla squads. She wrote he was ultimately arrested during the civil war by the “Free Staters,” the portion of the Irish who wanted to cut a deal with Britain. He spent nearly a year in prison. She tried, fruitlessly, to get information about him."},{"_id":"DE76HSRBIREUDMNO6R2IVF37C4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728575065962},"type":"text","content":"She wrote about raids on homes, arrests of friends, the deaths of IRA leaders and a friend who was wounded. She also had a dream that her husband had been executed."},{"_id":"GLRX3F5WVBG2BJGBBYAAXZCXFQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728575065963},"type":"text","content":"On those same pages were notes about her baby, Joe, having a bad cough. She was 22 years at the time. Joe, nearly a century later, would be still hosting family guests at that same house."},{"_id":"LJ37P3QGBVEP7KPKPHRKKKJQSE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728586961926},"type":"text","content":"Uncle Joe’s siblings often returned to stay, as did their children and our own children, who even brought their friends. It was like a hotel with a cranky old host — cranky, that is, in a beloved, welcoming way."},{"_id":"V6QETFFWTNECHPA3IT4EDYMLO4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728586961927},"type":"text","content":"Peters Cell, like Ireland itself, has always had a gravitational pull. I’m an Irish citizen due to my mother’s birth and I have spent many months living in that home at numerous times during the years. I’ve heard the stories all my life at late-night gatherings of immigrants."},{"owner":{"sponsored":false,"id":"ajc"},"address":{},"syndication":{},"auth":{"1":"3e168b7a39b10f8d678a57cbfc1bfaec46571542c766cd4e5b640d3cad7aab8f"},"caption":"Joe Gilligan at the gate of Peters Cell, where he lived for nearly a century. 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Another combatant joined in, so I made a run for the safety of Peters Cell, slamming the gate behind me. They remained outside the walls shouting insults — threatening yet another siege — until my uncle shooed them away."},{"_id":"4ZMGUBMZ7ZB43PQZAPST5TMYYY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728586961930},"type":"text","content":"Later, I gazed over the wall to see if the coast was clear. It was, although my attackers had chalked in the street, “Yankee go home.”"},{"_id":"I6DI6Z7BQJEHTBLDUTSS2LZZNA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728586961931},"type":"text","content":"I returned to Peters Cell last month, went through the gate and knocked at the door. Mom has died since the last visit, as has Uncle Joe. He made it to 99."},{"_id":"74YSHP7DHBG6RHDN6VINMBZKSY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728586961932},"type":"text","content":"Their one surviving sibling, Terry, ultimately sold the house. Some of my cousins made a half-hearted effort to buy it as a consortium, but no one really wanted to actually live in Limerick. The idea of it was better than the reality."},{"_id":"FMN5V7ZWGFEZLMPS2T2ZD6UGMM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728586961933},"type":"text","content":"A bespectacled boy answered my knock and I was greeted by the new woman of the home. She took my wife Julie and I on a tour of the familiar rooms that were now jumbled with five kids living in the home."},{"_id":"QOXND76HOVC4LHB3JLLODGFCLM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728586961934},"type":"text","content":"There hasn’t been that many children living there since the 1940s. The old place has new life."},{"_id":"7NYMCKDD25G6FIMBXGASD7IQ5Y","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728586961935},"type":"text","content":"It’s just no longer our life."}],"display_date":"2024-10-11T09:00:00Z","credits":{"by":[{"image":{"version":"0.5.8","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/e7ef0c5b-c33a-4581-8b37-6cbb7dcb343c.png"},"socialLinks":[{"site":"email","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"btorpy@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"https://twitter.com/billtorpy"}],"social_links":[{"site":"email","url":"btorpy@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","url":"https://twitter.com/billtorpy"}],"name":"Bill Torpy","description":"Bill Torpy, who writes about metro Atlanta for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, joined the newspaper in 1990.","_id":"bill-torpy","additional_properties":{"original":{"lastName":"Torpy","image":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/e7ef0c5b-c33a-4581-8b37-6cbb7dcb343c.png","role":"Columnist","education":[],"longBio":"Bill Torpy, who writes about metro Atlanta for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, joined the newspaper in 1990. He writes the metro column and has covered politics, government and countless stories about police, courts, the justice system and humanity in general. The Chicago native graduated from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Ill., and previously worked for the Daily Southtown in Chicago","org":"ajc","affiliations":"The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","bio":"Bill Torpy, who writes about metro Atlanta for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, joined the newspaper in 1990.","author_type":"Staff","type":"author","expertise":"7.16,10","firstName":"Bill","twitter":"https://twitter.com/billtorpy","books":[],"podcasts":[],"awards":[],"beat":"Metro columnist","custom_ajc_website":"ajc","_id":"bill-torpy","last_updated_date":"2023-06-12T22:45:24.641Z","bio_page":"/staff/bill-torpy/","byline":"Bill Torpy","email":"btorpy@ajc.com","status":true}},"type":"author","version":"0.5.8","url":"/staff/bill-torpy/"}]},"subtype":"Article","headlines":{"basic":"TORPY: Yes, you can go home. 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Courtesy of Julie Hodack","type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"8aec2b8c-455c-4816-903d-79fc8fdf8019"},"url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/BFPV4SSKVJCZDNSC7DV2NBM33Y.jpg","height":3024}},"canonical_url":"/opinion/columnists/torpy-yes-you-can-go-home-but-it-might-not-be-the-same/EM2L3DSRHBAZFADQDWB6DA3ACQ/","_id":"EM2L3DSRHBAZFADQDWB6DA3ACQ"},{"content_elements":[{"_id":"P2A7743LVRHSXED3RN5DJH5ULY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728349826977},"type":"text","content":"When I was an undergrad, I became fast friends with a bubbly and seemingly outgoing fellow freshman. We were part of the same crew for a while but as the school year unfolded, we stopped seeing much of her."},{"_id":"2JX3F2VNEZHA7CARBOVNMORZQU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728402756886},"type":"text","content":"She no longer joined us to eat in the dining hall each night. She declined invitations to weekend parties."},{"_id":"LS2V2QZKEZHQLLZTAQYSHE7KWQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728349826978},"type":"text","content":"When I saw her on campus, she seemed to have turned completely inward, shuffling from class to class with her head down."},{"_id":"QFCZHF4IAFDFXNFU4UXAKW6VTA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728349826979},"type":"text","content":"I knew something wasn’t right, but I didn’t know what to do, so I did nothing."},{"_id":"VATEJ3SZWZCVPDVWYO7V426PW4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728349826980},"type":"text","content":"After freshman year, I never saw her again."},{"_id":"BF2BCPMBWRHILMOKVXMB7O4BAY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728349826981},"type":"text","content":"That experience came to mind recently when an email landed in my inbox with the following subject line: Nearly half current college students have a diagnosed mental health condition."},{"_id":"BRIP5P6ZTZFJ7NZ6ZTX4ZFC4IU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[{"pos":16,"comment":"that "}],"comments":[],"_id":1728349826982},"type":"text","content":"Despite knowing college students (and younger children) have increasingly experienced mental health challenges, I was alarmed to learn that 46% of young adults in college have been diagnosed with a mental health condition."},{"_id":"KHNC7FRAB5H7HI6CQXLFRR3KYA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728349826983},"type":"text","content":"When I called a handful of friends, a mix of counselors and therapists, all of whom have interactions with college-age students, I hoped they would tell me this statistic seemed high."},{"_id":"PQZLG3EGOVBBHMT6BROCOWSVDM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728349826984},"type":"text","content":"None of them did. Not one of them was surprised."},{"_id":"O7NCYLM4R5HADF2B4H3I745USA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728349826985},"type":"text","content":"That so many young people are suffering is bad news, but it’s even worse that many of these students do not get the help they need on college campuses."},{"_id":"AYOTN4PKQFCXDM3I6ZQIDJV2XM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728349826986},"type":"text","content":"According to one report, just over one-third of students who need help connect with mental health resources at their college."},{"_id":"EFCAP7XTURGGVKUTE5XLEM6HYU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728349826987},"type":"text","content":"The most diagnosed mental health conditions among college students are anxiety (86%) and depression (78%), according to a recent survey by data management firm Harmony Healthcare IT."},{"_id":"EX3HFOXBNVG6HG5LM5HHPDS5IM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728349826988},"type":"text","content":"Students across the country have said they struggle to get out of bed or feel so down and depressed they can’t function."},{"_id":"BSVQKU7WQBCJTLU2KKZPSY6BOU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728349826989},"type":"text","content":"Some of the top stressors are feeling pressured to do well in school, finding it difficult to form deep relationships, time management and concerns about finances. Students said they cope with these feelings by oversleeping and procrastinating."},{"_id":"X6SI236QR5A7RB6R6LGUVQSOCE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728349826990},"type":"text","content":"More than 50% have skipped class because of a mental health condition and in more extreme circumstances, 25% to 40% of college students have taken or considered taking a leave of absence from school due to mental health issues."},{"_id":"MCA46FI7DJGOTMZ4CZMJPYRBUU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728349826991},"type":"text","content":"Yet, some students said they avoid campus mental health services because of negative past experiences, cost and fear of social stigma."},{"_id":"VGMGUPS7JNA3XF42HS7D5FJ4KQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[{"date":"2024-10-08T17:34:06.688Z","start":122,"end":124,"text":"added comma here","user":"Amanda DeArmon","email":"Amanda.DeArmon@ajc.com"}],"_id":1728349826992},"type":"text","content":"“Mental health care is inadequate across the board,” said Dr. Alice Feller, a clinical psychologist in Berkeley, California, and author of “American Madness.” “We need better-staffed student health centers.”"},{"_id":"2AOLZTFGWJG2VPLH6LGVRW72DY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[{"pos":163,"comment":"that "}],"comments":[],"_id":1728349826993},"type":"text","content":"Feller told me the college years are often where the first signs of serious mental health conditions begin to surface and addressing it early increases the chance a young person will develop strategies to manage conditions that may impact them for a lifetime."},{"_id":"DLBBSR737ZCU5HZWDZZUS4UVV4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728349826994},"type":"text","content":"According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 75% of lifetime mental health conditions begin by age 24."},{"_id":"SHSEWXMAYBA7DBKH5PM4ZPMITE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728349826995},"type":"text","content":"“In college … with serious mental illnesses, we really need to get in very quickly and provide intensive treatment which is not just drugs but psychotherapy, family involvement and rehabilitation,” Feller said."},{"_id":"AJKNXWJK4RAQ5CTKJQQWQM2SI4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728349826996},"type":"text","content":"But mental health professionals on college campuses have reported feeling overwhelmed, even before the COVID-19 pandemic sent the incidence of student mental health conditions soaring. Counselors have faced burnout and schools have seen rapid staff turnover in on-campus mental health centers."},{"_id":"KCNPC6FYJJB5ZJO3SLJUKBKXZ4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728349826997},"type":"text","content":"Some schools have cut costs by outsourcing mental health services, but when students seek help, faculty members are often jumping in to fill a role they are not equipped to fill, according to a recent report from the National Education Association."},{"_id":"QBHEMVEPYJH5FGWJJIIRNE6AC4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728349826998},"type":"text","content":"Last year, the organization developed sample letters for its members to send to university presidents, provosts and boards asking them to hire more mental health professionals."},{"_id":"NXW6F7BHC5BT5MVLTOGFNWKC4A","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728349826999},"type":"text","content":"This fall, the University System of Georgia rolled out a new initiative on its 26 campuses across the state. Window decals for residence halls, student activity centers and health centers designed to reach 200,000 students share the availability of mental health assistance by calling, texting or chatting 988. Students also have access to virtual counseling, psychiatric prescribing and mental health training sessions."},{"_id":"S222WLFOJFHX5MIOCQBMBXQI5A","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728349827000},"type":"text","content":"Some colleges and universities have developed crisis response teams headed by a clinician who can give an adequate mental health assessment in emergency situations — a response some experts consider preferable to students calling 911 or engaging police officers to do wellness checks."},{"_id":"G4CCJWI5IJDD7PBC55QK3JT2OI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728349827001},"type":"text","content":"Other schools have implemented mental health training for all faculty, staff and students and have supported the development of peer-led mental health organizations for students."},{"_id":"6C7NF6ZVXVEXJCKUECAARM67OM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728349827002},"type":"text","content":"Schools must continue to develop initiatives and programs that create a more supportive environment where students feel comfortable seeking mental health assistance. And they must also make sure those resources are accessible and beneficial."},{"_id":"HIPANEF7FNEFBJ6ZUMBSHZVVLA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728349827003},"type":"text","content":"These efforts might have been helpful to me decades ago, giving me the confidence to approach my friend instead of standing by and watching her wither."},{"_id":"GK3ECIQDFJH37ED2ZT3DG5GMAM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[{"pos":69,"comment":"that "}],"comments":[],"_id":1728349827004},"type":"text","content":"Maybe I would know where she is today and have the solace of knowing she is OK."},{"_id":"UN45AKVUSVEPVOMXKRGJGRPGOQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[{"pos":67,"comment":"and "}],"comments":[],"_id":1728402756914},"type":"text","content":"<i>Read more on the Real Life blog (</i><a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/opinion/real-life-blog/\"><i>ajc.com/opinion/real-life-blog/</i></a><i>), find Nedra on Facebook (</i><a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/AJCRealLifeColumn\"><i>facebook.com/AJCRealLifeColumn</i></a><i>) and X (</i><a href=\"https://twitter.com/nrhoneajc\"><i>@nrhoneajc</i></a><i>) or email her at </i><a href=\"mailto:Nedra.Rhone@ajc.com\"><i>nedra.rhone@ajc.com</i></a><i>.</i>"}],"display_date":"2024-10-09T09:00:00Z","credits":{"by":[{"image":{"version":"0.5.8","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/98f2f50c-d4da-49ae-9bde-27e4311ab5ad.png"},"socialLinks":[{"site":"email","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"nedra.rhone@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"https://twitter.com/nrhoneajc"}],"social_links":[{"site":"email","url":"nedra.rhone@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","url":"https://twitter.com/nrhoneajc"}],"name":"Nedra Rhone","description":"Nedra Rhone is a lifestyle columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution where she has been a reporter since 2006. A graduate of Columbia University School of Journalism, she enjoys writing about the people, places and events that define metro Atlanta.","_id":"nedra-rhone","additional_properties":{"original":{"lastName":"Rhone","image":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/98f2f50c-d4da-49ae-9bde-27e4311ab5ad.png","role":"Lifestyle Columnist","education":[{"name":"University of Pennsylvania, Bachelor's degree in Economics"},{"name":"Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism"}],"longBio":"Nedra Rhone is a lifestyle columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution where she has been a reporter since 2006. A graduate of Columbia University School of Journalism, she enjoys writing about the people, places and events that define metro Atlanta. She has written about style, entertainment, personal finance and the environment for the AJC. Previously, Rhone was a staff writer at Newsday where her first assignment was covering the devastating impact of 9/11 on the families and communities of Long Island. She later covered K-12 education for Long Island's 125 school districts and is a Pulitzer Prize finalist for her reporting on women in hip-hop. ","org":"ajc","affiliations":"The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","bio":"Nedra Rhone is a lifestyle columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution where she has been a reporter since 2006. A graduate of Columbia University School of Journalism, she enjoys writing about the people, places and events that define metro Atlanta.","expertise":"2,7,16","author_type":"Staff","firstName":"Nedra","twitter":"https://twitter.com/nrhoneajc","books":[],"podcasts":[],"awards":[],"custom_ajc_phone":"404-526-5465","custom_ajc_website":"ajc","_id":"nedra-rhone","last_updated_date":"2024-08-01T19:40:05.320Z","byline":"Nedra Rhone","email":"nedra.rhone@ajc.com","status":true}},"type":"author","version":"0.5.8"}]},"subtype":"Article","headlines":{"basic":"RHONE: College students and mental health - they need support"},"first_publish_date":"2024-10-09T09:00:02.421Z","taxonomy":{"primary_site":{"path":"/opinion/columnists","parent_id":"/opinion","name":"AJC Columnists","description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","_id":"/opinion/columnists","additional_properties":{"original":{"parent":{"AmpNav":"/opinion","default":"/opinion","MainMenu2024":"/opinion","BottomNav":null,"TopNavRedesign":null,"SectionMap":"/","MainMenuRedesign2021":null,"TopNav":null,"ComposerNav":"/opinion"},"site":{"section_comments_enabled":"Yes","site_description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","site_title":"AJC Columnists"},"navigation":{"nav_title":"AJC Columnists"},"inactive":false,"node_type":"section","name":"AJC Columnists","_id":"/opinion/columnists","ancestors":{"MainMenu2024":["/","/opinion"],"TopNavRedesign":[],"SectionMap":["/"],"MainMenuRedesign2021":[],"TopNav":[],"ComposerNav":["/opinion"]},"order":{"MainMenu2024":2002,"SectionMap":1068,"ComposerNav":2003}}},"type":"site","version":"0.5.8"},"sections":[{"path":"/opinion/columnists","parent":{"default":"/opinion"},"_website":"ajc","parent_id":"/opinion","name":"AJC Columnists","description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","_id":"/opinion/columnists","additional_properties":{"original":{"parent":{"AmpNav":"/opinion","default":"/opinion","MainMenu2024":"/opinion","BottomNav":null,"TopNavRedesign":null,"SectionMap":"/","MainMenuRedesign2021":null,"TopNav":null,"ComposerNav":"/opinion"},"site":{"section_comments_enabled":"Yes","site_description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","site_title":"AJC Columnists"},"navigation":{"nav_title":"AJC Columnists"},"inactive":false,"node_type":"section","_website":"ajc","name":"AJC Columnists","_id":"/opinion/columnists","ancestors":{"MainMenu2024":["/","/opinion"],"TopNavRedesign":[],"SectionMap":["/"],"MainMenuRedesign2021":[],"TopNav":[],"ComposerNav":["/opinion"]},"order":{"MainMenu2024":2002,"SectionMap":1068,"ComposerNav":2003}}},"_website_section_id":"ajc./opinion/columnists","type":"section","version":"0.6.0"},{"path":"/opinion","parent":{"default":"/"},"_website":"ajc","parent_id":"/","name":"Opinion","description":"Opinion articles from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{"sponsor":{"sponsor_url_open_new_tab":"false","sponsor_desktop_banner":"","sponsor_mobile_banner":"","sponsor_url":""},"parent":{"AmpNav":"/","subnav_opinion":null,"TopicsBar2023":"/","BottomNav":null,"TopNavRedesign":null,"SectionMap":"/","TopNav":null,"TopicsBar":null,"ComposerNav":"/","subnav_homepage":null,"default":"/","MainMenu2024":"/","MainMenuRedesign2021":null},"site":{"site_url":"/opinion/","section_comments_enabled":"Yes","site_description":"Opinion articles from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","site_title":"Opinion"},"navigation":{"nav_title":"Opinion"},"inactive":false,"node_type":"section","_website":"ajc","name":"Opinion","_id":"/opinion","ancestors":{"subnav_opinion":[],"TopicsBar2023":["/"],"MainMenu2024":["/"],"TopNavRedesign":[],"SectionMap":["/"],"MainMenuRedesign2021":[],"TopNav":[],"TopicsBar":[],"ComposerNav":["/"],"subnav_homepage":[]},"order":{"AmpNav":1033,"TopicsBar2023":1008,"default":1083,"MainMenu2024":1008,"SectionMap":1086,"ComposerNav":1011}}},"_website_section_id":"ajc./opinion","type":"section","version":"0.6.0"}],"primary_section":{"path":"/opinion/columnists","name":"AJC Columnists"},"tags":[{"text":"lifestyle"},{"text":"atlanta-news-metro.ajc"},{"text":"real life blog"},{"text":"teamdan"},{"text":"UATL"},{"text":"higher education"},{"text":"health-wellness.ajc"},{"text":"sp-pulse"},{"text":"pulsewell"},{"text":"ajcpulse"},{"text":"health"},{"text":"wellness"},{"text":"kids-parenting.ajc"},{"text":"pulseparents"}]},"label":{"tease_label":{"display":true,"text":"OPINION"},"custom_label":{"display":true,"text":"Real Life with Nedra Rhone"}},"type":"story","last_updated_date":"2024-10-09T11:25:15.459Z","promo_items":{"basic":{"credits":{},"subtitle":"Mental health needs an issue for Georgia Tech even before coronavirus","width":2048,"caption":"Georgia Tech students were on the move in between classes on Wednesday, March 11, 2020. Georgia Tech, like other state colleges and universities, has closed campuses due to the coronavirus outbreak and is offering online counseling services for students needing assistance. (John Spink/AJC)","type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"8aec2b8c-455c-4816-903d-79fc8fdf8019"},"url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/KOIEX6PE3ZDL3RCOLMKKJLDJE4.jpg","height":1183}},"canonical_url":"/opinion/columnists/opinion-nearly-half-of-college-students-have-a-mental-health-condition-they-need-support/42QKD3HN6ZDUHGSO435C6R6TGE/","_id":"42QKD3HN6ZDUHGSO435C6R6TGE"},{"content_elements":[{"_id":"PK6TFEMU4NCOZFOBYUWVBDLR7Y","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728328009068},"type":"text","content":"Well, that didn’t take long."},{"_id":"23P5NGX5QZD33I7LM4NYXEI2YU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728422703897},"type":"text","content":"Most members of the Georgia Supreme Court, like their counterparts in DC, appear to be merely Republican foot soldiers."},{"_id":"N2KKWASDRNDJ7EFZXTLP7JAF7Y","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728422703898},"type":"text","content":"A week ago, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney struck down the state’s ban on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, the so-called “heartbeat bill.”"},{"_id":"7DHC5PCGA5ASDFLPD3KFWYU4UM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728422703899},"type":"text","content":"On Monday, the state high court — by a 6-1 vote — overruled McBurney‘s ruling and reinstated the law. It was the second time in two years that the court has nudged the Fulton judge aside on abortion."},{"_id":"JRDHRPMYKRACNLQSTD55EMORIQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728422703900},"type":"text","content":"<a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/fulton-county-judge-stops-enforcement-of-georgias-abortion-ban/7XKGMA3ZU5GGJFNVDXKM7TPTNE/\" target=\"_blank\">In November 2022, McBurney </a>ruled that the “heartbeat” law, enacted in 2019, was null and void. He said Georgia legislators were simply play-acting when they voted it in. He said they knew full well the law was unconstitutional because Roe v. Wade was still the law of the land."},{"_id":"VOINZBN6JNGW3HNTTGP5EG5BXQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728422703901},"type":"text","content":"By 2022, Roe had been overturned and Georgia’s 2019 bill slid into being law."},{"_id":"UHEKHM3NR5HILHCXOJH6ZFTKEU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728422703902},"type":"text","content":"The Fulton judge wanted to throw the hot potato back to the legislators, to have them again make the hard and largely unpopular decision to severely limit abortion. Do it when people are watching, when the vote really matters."},{"_id":"UHW3UON54FHDLLCS3XG66HW33U","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728422703903},"type":"text","content":"Many <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/opinion/columnists/opinion-abortion-battle-redux-in-georgia-gop-wants-no-part-of-that/YFFDOWAFQNEXPAAYD6ZE445EUU/\" target=\"_blank\">Republican legislators did not want to revisit the effort</a>, figuring they could catch flak from some voters who usually support them."},{"owner":{"sponsored":false,"id":"ajc"},"copyright":"2022 Atlanta Journal Constitution","address":{"region":"Georgia"},"auth":{"1":"59e1e3f398861f88373aa4a0e6582f4af1ad8ba249f7bf32fc5bdedfaa73bcdb"},"caption":"Abortion rights activist Kay (declined to provide last name) leads a protest in Atlanta on Thursday, July 21, 2022. The previous day a federal appeals court allowed Georgia’s restrictive “heartbeat” abortion law to take effect. (Arvin Temkar / arvin.temkar@ajc.com)","source":{"system":"AJC Freelancer","name":"AJC Freelancer","edit_url":"","source_type":"wires","source_id":"s3://ajc-arc-photo-integration/Freelancer/AAJC 072122 GA ABORTION PROTEST filed at 0007.JPG","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"}},"taxonomy":{"associated_tasks":["62da9d1893b049097ead9434"],"seo_keywords":["AJC Freelancer"]},"type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"custom","name":"AJC Freelancer","category":"wires"},"version":"0.10.9","url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/ID6TPSZNIDXSFL4UTCVBY2QFF4.JPG","geo":{},"licensable":false,"credits":{"affiliation":[{"name":"Arvin Temkar/AJC","type":"author"}],"by":[{"name":"Arvin Temkar","type":"author"}]},"subtype":"Wires","subtitle":"abortion rights march","width":3300,"_id":"ID6TPSZNIDXSFL4UTCVBY2QFF4","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/9-9NMLvUf-b_0FExm1q6iIYP5LI=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/ID6TPSZNIDXSFL4UTCVBY2QFF4.JPG","comments":[],"iptc_job_identifier":"62da9d1893b049097ead9434","keywords":["abortion","abortion rights","abortion rights activists","heartbeat law","AJC Freelancer"],"proxyUrl":"/resizer/9-9NMLvUf-b_0FExm1q6iIYP5LI=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/ID6TPSZNIDXSFL4UTCVBY2QFF4.JPG","takenOn":"2022-07-21T21:48:31Z","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/ID6TPSZNIDXSFL4UTCVBY2QFF4.JPG","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/9-9NMLvUf-b_0FExm1q6iIYP5LI=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/ID6TPSZNIDXSFL4UTCVBY2QFF4.JPG","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/g3kGxadKlJPqYThdSEaKh93r2V8=/300x0/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/ID6TPSZNIDXSFL4UTCVBY2QFF4.JPG","version":3,"originalName":"s3://ajc-arc-photo-integration/Freelancer/AAJC 072122 GA ABORTION PROTEST filed at 0007.JPG","mime_type":"image/jpeg","restricted":false,"galleries":[],"_id":"ZKMN5AES4NB75K2PUNNZEQDW2M","iptc_title":"Visual Journalist"},"created_date":"2022-07-22T13:07:46Z","last_updated_date":"2022-11-17T10:54:14Z","slug":"AAJC 072122 GA ABORTION PROTEST","height":2200,"image_type":"photograph"},{"_id":"JQC3IXO2Z5FZ7KQPXEXVSU3G7E","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728422703904},"type":"text","content":"So a week after his 2022 ruling, the state Supreme Court gave those legislators cover and stayed McBurney’s ruling."},{"_id":"NLNM7APDNBGWXAFOVZ2NP5X2SM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728422703905},"type":"text","content":"<a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/georgia-supreme-court-allows-abortion-law-to-stay-on-the-books/L23OQTX6O5CCLNVINAT32P5I3A/\" target=\"_blank\">Later, in 2023, the high court considered</a> the matter and overturned McBurney. And sent the case back to him."},{"_id":"5COD6SGJXFDU5JBTVHAG7D3I74","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728422703906},"type":"text","content":"Last week, he again shot down the law, saying it was offensive to women’s inalienable rights to privacy and control of their own bodies. It turned them, he said, into government-mandated “human incubators.”"},{"_id":"7QNB4BMG3JF6RGVRHVDNPWRTCQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728422703907},"type":"text","content":"To make sure people caught his drift, McBurney even mentioned the Handmaid’s Tale, the dystopian TV series where fertile women are state-owned baby factories."},{"_id":"QTSEQQDIRZE3PFQA26QRK3NLUA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728422703908},"type":"text","content":"“There is nothing narrow about a law so blunt that it forces a woman to allow a fetus grow inside her for months after she has made the difficult and deeply personal decision not to bring the pregnancy to term,” he wrote."},{"_id":"JE5ES2PL35CGTMJGZJICKMV6XY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728422703909},"type":"text","content":"(The state argues that fetuses who are older than six weeks but still are not yet viable outside the womb have the right to life.)"},{"_id":"MEVOCQW6O5CKZFWANKGFEUQHSI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728422703910},"type":"text","content":"But just like 2022, the state Supreme Court this week did not wait long to override McBurney. The justices, without comment, granted a relatively uncommon emergency <i>supersedeas, </i>which is legalese for telling a lower court judge, “hold on there, little buddy.”"},{"_id":"BHPDU3DZ6ZDIXPWUXNOWEKZXP4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728422703911},"type":"text","content":"Again, McBurney’s ruling has been put on ice until it can — again — be argued before the higher court."},{"owner":{"id":"ajc"},"address":{},"auth":{"1":"9fc83c4e86cbb0e538b675b688015d524f0d95d06e5cdfd4f54972418376bd22"},"caption":"Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed HB 481, the \"heartbeat bill,\" on May 7, 2019. The bill outlaws most abortions once a doctor can detect a fetus' heartbeat – usually around six weeks of pregnancy. (Bob Andres/The Atlanta Journal-Constitution/TNS)","source":{"system":"McClatchy Tribune","name":"McClatchy Tribune","edit_url":"","source_type":"wires","source_id":"s3://ajc-arc-photo-integration/MCT/US-NEWS-GA-ABORTION-STUDY-AT.jpg","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"}},"taxonomy":{"associated_tasks":[],"tags":[{"description":"McClatchy Tribune","text":"McClatchy Tribune","slug":"McClatchy-Tribune"}]},"type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"custom","name":"McClatchy Tribune","category":"wires"},"version":"0.10.9","url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/ZK4WXIL6N2SYLZRFTVTNT7T6GI.jpg","licensable":false,"credits":{"affiliation":[{"name":"TNS","type":"author"}],"by":[{"name":"Bob Andres","type":"author"}]},"subtype":"Wires","subtitle":"US-NEWS-GA-ABORTION-STUDY-AT","width":3000,"_id":"ZK4WXIL6N2SYLZRFTVTNT7T6GI","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/oXjgeM4PExlx4g0LsZezQ2DG_D0=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/ZK4WXIL6N2SYLZRFTVTNT7T6GI.jpg","iptc_source":"The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","comments":[],"iptc_job_identifier":"73455333W","keywords":["McClatchy Tribune"],"proxyUrl":"/resizer/oXjgeM4PExlx4g0LsZezQ2DG_D0=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/ZK4WXIL6N2SYLZRFTVTNT7T6GI.jpg","takenOn":"2022-11-04T10:26:00Z","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/ZK4WXIL6N2SYLZRFTVTNT7T6GI.jpg","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/oXjgeM4PExlx4g0LsZezQ2DG_D0=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/ZK4WXIL6N2SYLZRFTVTNT7T6GI.jpg","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/hL1k1ZxP8B926sQ19mJAsiu0Xyw=/300x0/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/ZK4WXIL6N2SYLZRFTVTNT7T6GI.jpg","version":1,"originalName":"s3://ajc-arc-photo-integration/MCT/US-NEWS-GA-ABORTION-STUDY-AT.jpg","mime_type":"image/jpeg","restricted":false,"galleries":[],"_id":"FFBXUXRNNJGIPL6LQM6437Z3EE","iptc_title":"MBR"},"created_date":"2023-03-06T22:22:36Z","last_updated_date":"2023-03-06T22:22:37Z","slug":"US-NEWS-GA-ABORTION-STUDY-AT","height":1688},{"_id":"FKK4LFNTDZA4TLOB7CI5PHQRUM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728422703912},"type":"text","content":"Anyone want to wager how they’re going to rule?"},{"_id":"R6HQBR66RVHORBB4XCFIPSVR2U","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728422703913},"type":"text","content":"Supreme Court Justice John Ellington was the only member of the high court in this case to go against his tribe. Ellington wrote that McBurney heard the case, made a ruling on the facts and that the lower court’s decision was not a “close call.”"},{"_id":"HLYGU3UVYBF5HN3WURANOPLRF4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728422703915},"type":"text","content":"“Fundamentally, the state should not be in the business of enforcing laws that have been determined to violate fundamental rights guaranteed to millions of individuals under the Georgia Constitution,” Ellington wrote in his dissent."},{"_id":"PHTTXEI2VZDUJM7GWKO54K4YWY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728422703916},"type":"text","content":"Ellington, who decades ago called himself a “conservative Democrat,” is a rare breed on the Supreme Court in that he won election to his seat. Normally, as in <i>almost always</i>, justices play cute and “retire” before their term ends, allowing the governor to pick a successor."},{"_id":"MBL5CWEPXNDL5H5AUEN2WVMOUE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728422703917},"type":"text","content":"This makes the appointed judge an incumbent and virtually unbeatable in future elections. <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/opinion/columnists/opinion-georgia-supreme-court-club-works-to-keep-its-seats-in-house/BLYGSMINKFF3ZGRN7Z7PI2APDQ/\" target=\"_blank\">It’s a good-old-boys (and girls) </a>club that fosters groupthink and, one might argue, allegiance to he who put him on the bench."},{"_id":"T6OBSL2JT5CCNLGGVNAH5VIK3E","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728422703918},"type":"text","content":"The Supremes have spanked McBurney before — <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta-news/mciver-should-get-new-trial-lawyer-argues-before-states-highest-court/T45PH3AJSZHJZP6PD2M5HF6YJY/\" target=\"_blank\">overturning the murder conviction</a> in the case against Tex McIver, the clueless lawyer who shot his wife."},{"_id":"GRA4RVRRGZH7ZK3Y6NCL3TTL2E","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728422703919},"type":"text","content":"There’s been talk in the legal community of some sort of rift between McBurney and the Supremes, that they think the <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/opinion/columnists/opinion-fulton-judge-mcburney-the-states-hardest-working-person-in-robes/CLRQB57I5RH45O5IX2OH64AGUU/\" target=\"_blank\">Harvard-educated judge </a>is antagonistic, too independent-minded and kind of a wisenheimer in his rulings."},{"_id":"KVL26PWKT5DBXB6QIR5VWFEE34","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728422703920},"type":"text","content":"But in late August, the Supreme Court gave McBurney its “most prestigious” accolade, it’s Amicus Curiae Award, translated Friend of the Court."},{"owner":{"sponsored":false,"id":"ajc"},"address":{},"syndication":{},"auth":{"1":"acc6cd743dcd0eca08886e7de3514f5c3cab37932ccdf1c9a9f6791f94ee1dfa"},"caption":"Fulton County Judge Robert McBurney receives the Amicus Curiae Award from the Georgia Supreme Court.","source":{"system":"photo center","name":"AJC","edit_url":"","source_type":"staff","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"}},"taxonomy":{"associated_tasks":[]},"type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"8aec2b8c-455c-4816-903d-79fc8fdf8019"},"version":"0.10.9","url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/NYVXWNADLZEILORQMJZJMPL23E.jpg","licensable":false,"credits":{"affiliation":[{"name":"State Supreme Court","type":"author"}],"by":[{"name":"State Supreme Court","type":"author","byline":"State Supreme Court"}]},"subtitle":"McBurney award","width":1776,"creditIPTC":"State Supreme Court","_id":"NYVXWNADLZEILORQMJZJMPL23E","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/mTUBZF2Z3yoIE4F1Z_y-kuhXIIs=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/NYVXWNADLZEILORQMJZJMPL23E.jpg","owner":"william.torpy@ajc.com","comments":[],"keywords":[],"proxyUrl":"/resizer/mTUBZF2Z3yoIE4F1Z_y-kuhXIIs=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/NYVXWNADLZEILORQMJZJMPL23E.jpg","takenOn":"2024-10-07T21:19:20Z","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/NYVXWNADLZEILORQMJZJMPL23E.jpg","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/mTUBZF2Z3yoIE4F1Z_y-kuhXIIs=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/NYVXWNADLZEILORQMJZJMPL23E.jpg","ingestionMethod":"manual","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/9z53AIHbL1QUNT7OkFbujk1qbew=/300x0/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/NYVXWNADLZEILORQMJZJMPL23E.jpg","version":0,"originalName":"mcburney award 1.jpg","mime_type":"image/jpeg","restricted":false,"template_id":594,"galleries":[],"_id":"NOHPVQ7FL5AEJKHIBGW2RR3TSQ"},"created_date":"2024-10-08T21:35:27Z","last_updated_date":"2024-10-08T21:35:27Z","height":844,"image_type":"photograph"},{"_id":"IQV2FUGHBFBFJJ6SQJWFAXJHFA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728422703921},"type":"text","content":"While giving the award, Chief Justice Michael Boggs noted McBurney can “stay a safe distance” from the justices, a joking reference to any previous bad feelings there might have been."},{"_id":"6YGZ5OLIARAHNLOW6ICGVIDI4Q","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728422703922},"type":"text","content":"Boggs noted McBurney’s “integrity” and “intellect” in connection with being an initial member and chair of the state hearing panel that metes out punishment against wayward judges."},{"_id":"GZCE4VOKMZFEHHV6PE3MHJAVGY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728422703923},"type":"text","content":"Barely a month later, McBurney aimed that intellect against the award-givers. He noted the higher court often argues that the Constitution says what it says, not what they say."},{"_id":"AT62HFOVBFH2FCGNL74Y2VBJHY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728422703924},"type":"text","content":"But McBurney, who likes to insert digs into his footnotes, wrote: “the meaning of the Constitution is no more fixed than is the composition of the majority in the highest courts of the land — especially when formerly bedrock principles such as stare decisis appear to be on the wane.”"},{"_id":"7ZGQOTDS7BGNBE6M3BJZJQO6II","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728424598823},"type":"text","content":"(Stare decisis is adhering to prior court precedents.)"},{"_id":"YRPSNZICQFEKVD47QRSF27XA6Y","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728422703925},"type":"text","content":"Later, he added, “Women are not some piece of collectively owned community property the disposition of which is decided by majority vote.”"},{"_id":"VJVZSU5EFFHLLMB462DPFRVP7Y","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728422703926},"type":"text","content":"We shall see."},{"_id":"6ONEPJNTQRFTXOWQM7LOGFW544","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1728422703927},"type":"text","content":"<br/>"}],"display_date":"2024-10-09T09:00:00Z","credits":{"by":[{"image":{"version":"0.5.8","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/e7ef0c5b-c33a-4581-8b37-6cbb7dcb343c.png"},"socialLinks":[{"site":"email","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"btorpy@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"https://twitter.com/billtorpy"}],"social_links":[{"site":"email","url":"btorpy@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","url":"https://twitter.com/billtorpy"}],"name":"Bill Torpy","description":"Bill Torpy, who writes about metro Atlanta for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, joined the newspaper in 1990.","_id":"bill-torpy","additional_properties":{"original":{"lastName":"Torpy","image":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/e7ef0c5b-c33a-4581-8b37-6cbb7dcb343c.png","role":"Columnist","education":[],"longBio":"Bill Torpy, who writes about metro Atlanta for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, joined the newspaper in 1990. He writes the metro column and has covered politics, government and countless stories about police, courts, the justice system and humanity in general. The Chicago native graduated from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Ill., and previously worked for the Daily Southtown in Chicago","org":"ajc","affiliations":"The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","bio":"Bill Torpy, who writes about metro Atlanta for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, joined the newspaper in 1990.","author_type":"Staff","type":"author","expertise":"7.16,10","firstName":"Bill","twitter":"https://twitter.com/billtorpy","books":[],"podcasts":[],"awards":[],"beat":"Metro columnist","custom_ajc_website":"ajc","_id":"bill-torpy","last_updated_date":"2023-06-12T22:45:24.641Z","bio_page":"/staff/bill-torpy/","byline":"Bill Torpy","email":"btorpy@ajc.com","status":true}},"type":"author","version":"0.5.8","url":"/staff/bill-torpy/"}]},"subtype":"Article","headlines":{"basic":"TORPY: State Supremes keep marching in line to defend abortion law"},"first_publish_date":"2024-10-09T09:00:00.98Z","taxonomy":{"primary_site":{"path":"/opinion/columnists","parent_id":"/opinion","name":"AJC Columnists","description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","_id":"/opinion/columnists","additional_properties":{"original":{"parent":{"AmpNav":"/opinion","default":"/opinion","MainMenu2024":"/opinion","BottomNav":null,"TopNavRedesign":null,"SectionMap":"/","MainMenuRedesign2021":null,"TopNav":null,"ComposerNav":"/opinion"},"site":{"section_comments_enabled":"Yes","site_description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","site_title":"AJC Columnists"},"navigation":{"nav_title":"AJC Columnists"},"inactive":false,"node_type":"section","name":"AJC Columnists","_id":"/opinion/columnists","ancestors":{"MainMenu2024":["/","/opinion"],"TopNavRedesign":[],"SectionMap":["/"],"MainMenuRedesign2021":[],"TopNav":[],"ComposerNav":["/opinion"]},"order":{"MainMenu2024":2002,"SectionMap":1068,"ComposerNav":2003}}},"type":"site","version":"0.5.8"},"sections":[{"path":"/opinion/columnists","parent":{"default":"/opinion"},"_website":"ajc","parent_id":"/opinion","name":"AJC Columnists","description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","_id":"/opinion/columnists","additional_properties":{"original":{"parent":{"AmpNav":"/opinion","default":"/opinion","MainMenu2024":"/opinion","BottomNav":null,"TopNavRedesign":null,"SectionMap":"/","MainMenuRedesign2021":null,"TopNav":null,"ComposerNav":"/opinion"},"site":{"section_comments_enabled":"Yes","site_description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","site_title":"AJC Columnists"},"navigation":{"nav_title":"AJC Columnists"},"inactive":false,"node_type":"section","_website":"ajc","name":"AJC Columnists","_id":"/opinion/columnists","ancestors":{"MainMenu2024":["/","/opinion"],"TopNavRedesign":[],"SectionMap":["/"],"MainMenuRedesign2021":[],"TopNav":[],"ComposerNav":["/opinion"]},"order":{"MainMenu2024":2002,"SectionMap":1068,"ComposerNav":2003}}},"_website_section_id":"ajc./opinion/columnists","type":"section","version":"0.6.0"}],"primary_section":{"path":"/opinion/columnists","name":"AJC Columnists"},"tags":[{"text":"torpy at large"},{"text":"atlanta-news-metro.ajc"},{"text":"torpy-rss"},{"text":"teamjennifer"}]},"label":{"tease_label":{"display":true,"text":"Opinion"},"custom_label":{"display":true,"text":"ONLY ON AJC: TORPY AT LARGE"}},"type":"story","last_updated_date":"2024-10-09T09:00:00.98Z","promo_items":{"basic":{"credits":{"affiliation":[{"name":"Miguel Martinez-Jimenez","type":"author"}],"by":[{"name":"Miguel Martinez-Jimenez","type":"author"}]},"subtitle":"Democrats are asking the judge to affirm that certifying the results is required\r\r","width":5088,"caption":"Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney presides over the lawsuit’s trial against the State Election Board’s recently approved rule on Tuesday, October 1, 2024. The lawsuit against the State Election Board includes the Democratic National Committee, the Georgia Democratic Party, and Democrats on county election boards.\r(Miguel Martinez / AJC)","type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"custom","name":"AJC Freelancer","category":"wires"},"url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/M4GMO2F2XLWIGJOJ3YWEE3UAEU.jpg","height":3392}},"canonical_url":"/opinion/columnists/torpy-state-supremes-keep-marching-in-line-to-defend-abortion-law/USYNQ7MRBRHQ7AUPTPG7OOHV4Y/","_id":"USYNQ7MRBRHQ7AUPTPG7OOHV4Y"},{"content_elements":[{"_id":"VEICG5BCBZCWFKKZXMHGQZ2EOE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727377449660},"type":"text","content":"Fear of failure, fear of heights, fear of flying, fear of bugs, whatever you fear can be paralyzing. Most of us do nothing rather than confront our fear. Instead, we should probe why we are afraid and then act to overcome that fear."},{"_id":"C26PCXETFZELHALLZCZWUNVGMM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727377449661},"type":"text","content":"As British Prime Minister Winston Churchill said, “Fear is a reaction. Courage is a decision.”"},{"_id":"ITLVVMRIJBBIFE7RRUOFTEVTF4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727377449662},"type":"text","content":"Some of us fear what will happen in the future and that fear can be used by others to control us — physically, emotionally and psychologically."},{"_id":"R3Q44RB4CJECZD7WRF2V57JFYQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727387383293},"type":"text","content":"We are seeing some of that fear play out in the current presidential election, leading to false allegations being levied at immigrant groups."},{"owner":{"sponsored":false,"id":"ajc"},"address":{},"syndication":{},"auth":{"1":"89782bd15ea73b0378a98aa295db0df45134e543114f575c4e8bd13e909382a7"},"caption":"A Monica Moment column debuts.","source":{"system":"photo center","name":"AJC","edit_url":"","source_type":"staff","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"}},"taxonomy":{"associated_tasks":[]},"type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"8aec2b8c-455c-4816-903d-79fc8fdf8019"},"version":"0.10.9","url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/K5H5GF6Q5JACDOIQ6STDCKMCLE.jpg","licensable":false,"credits":{"affiliation":[],"by":[{"name":"AJC file","type":"author","byline":"AJC file"}]},"subtitle":"Monica Pearson","width":1140,"_id":"K5H5GF6Q5JACDOIQ6STDCKMCLE","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/_RtKUX8SlyP5ZZTeGfVxUmHE5_A=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/K5H5GF6Q5JACDOIQ6STDCKMCLE.jpg","owner":"shane.harrison@ajc.com","comments":[],"keywords":[""],"proxyUrl":"/resizer/_RtKUX8SlyP5ZZTeGfVxUmHE5_A=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/K5H5GF6Q5JACDOIQ6STDCKMCLE.jpg","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/K5H5GF6Q5JACDOIQ6STDCKMCLE.jpg","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/_RtKUX8SlyP5ZZTeGfVxUmHE5_A=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/K5H5GF6Q5JACDOIQ6STDCKMCLE.jpg","ingestionMethod":"manual","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/Ug2F4_EzDEVKxBsGKLxZlPU7L0g=/300x0/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/K5H5GF6Q5JACDOIQ6STDCKMCLE.jpg","version":0,"originalName":"1.AAJC_01072024_Living_E1.jpg","mime_type":"image/jpeg","restricted":false,"template_id":594,"galleries":[],"_id":"VFIIM57TVZCONJUYTIUKP2YP3U"},"created_date":"2024-01-03T16:40:19Z","last_updated_date":"2024-01-03T16:40:19Z","height":737,"image_type":"photograph"},{"_id":"KJGQH3RR5NGOVG3JY5VFS3EZNQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727387383294},"type":"text","content":"An example: the decision to detest or hate another group often is based on fear. We hear immigrants described as criminals, leeches sucking up government services, overcrowding schools, becoming a burden to states, taking jobs that other groups used to do. In reality, those immigrants are doing jobs many of us won’t do."},{"_id":"SKGTY4TCU5EZ3JF74XMJTFE6CM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727377449664},"type":"text","content":"That fear then causes people to categorize every person with an accent or features different from their own as illegal or suspect. They become a stereotype, loathed and distrusted."},{"_id":"5SYBDVKPWBEVHGP4XYA2T4IBXI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727377449665},"type":"text","content":"Fear clouds the mind People forget that,<b> </b>for most of them, their forebears came from another country and once were looked down upon. Some came legally and some didn’t. The only native Americans are Native Americans, but they too have been marginalized."},{"_id":"BZG6VC4YW5AYXKJ3GE3T6QVJOI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727377449666},"type":"text","content":"People play on our insecurities. Many fear what will be lost if someone else is lifted up."},{"_id":"KSGUPK56DRBEDD6UTFBAHWZXAQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727377449667},"type":"text","content":"Fear causes us to live in silos, listening only to those who share our point of view."},{"_id":"UAJI75N4PVCMVMBDCXMXXPMKVM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727377449668},"type":"text","content":"Fear causes people to make poor decisions based on fiction rather than fact, on emotions rather than education."},{"_id":"3W3SLVUX7NEUJM3TDBSZ64DBAA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727377449669},"type":"text","content":"It is amazing how attitudes change when we step out of our comfort zone and get to know those who don’t look like us, have a different culture, practice a different religion or speak another language."},{"_id":"2IFWQMAA2NDEBJYEYJBOT53ISU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727377449670},"type":"text","content":"When we share neighborhoods, social groups, churches … just life together, we learn we all care about crime, punishment, the economy, education, health, welfare, etc."},{"_id":"YUKA4WPRNNHVFMQ33JAIH5WENM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727377449671},"type":"text","content":"Those stereotypes of “other” people become moot. When we talk and listen, thoughtfully, we learn and grow exponentially."},{"_id":"LAEIB53TVNHZDEFPEFIZXUS4IY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727377449672},"type":"text","content":"Fear keeps us on edge and brings about impulsive and racist<b> </b>reactions."},{"_id":"TOWOVFBD3FA53JZJ5YP6KJEHVE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727377449673},"type":"text","content":"That’s why Black fathers coach their Black sons on how to act when stopped by police to keep from becoming a statistic. That’s why I make sure I am well-dressed and well made up when shopping at some establishments out of town to keep from being followed by security or constantly asked, “Can I help you?”"},{"_id":"UC3TRFEX2RFCNDOYFYSBHEG73M","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727377449674},"type":"text","content":"Fear of losing something can even make it to the courts. After a U.S. Supreme Court ruling, public and private colleges no longer can look at race as a factor in admissions. Affirmative Action was ruled unconstitutional in higher education. Black and brown students lose out more than others."},{"_id":"32PYVLKYNRGTXH67LU2KEHD3FA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727377449675},"type":"text","content":"But why weren’t legacy admissions included? Why should the children of alums be given preference over others who have the same test scores? Fear may have been a part of the ruling, especially when I think of the words of the late Malcolm X, “Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.’’"},{"_id":"CHYDAVHKTNATDA7BPQGNW7FUSM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727377449676},"type":"text","content":"Is it out of fear that affirmative action, diversity, equity and inclusion are now profane words? Minorities will become the majority population around 2045, according to the Brookings Institution and the U.S. Census Bureau, and the largest minority population is Hispanic. And who is mainly being “othered” right now? Immigrants from Spanish-speaking countries."},{"_id":"76YFJOD35RHSNES55WW5GG3C6A","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727387383308},"type":"text","content":"Whatever the motivation we have to remember that fear is irrational. Think of fear as an acronym, FEAR: false evidence appearing real."},{"_id":"PWV3CTNOH5BSHMMO2UYWXBNLOU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727464933607},"type":"text","content":"Identify what you fear and why. One way to do that is to write down your fears. Then do the work, the independent research, to get out of your silo. Write down counter arguments to your fears."},{"_id":"ZU4ZSDUAJRCWVOXF6BEX2H63VA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727464933608},"type":"text","content":"If the fear is paralyzing, maybe it is time to talk to a professional, a counselor or therapist, to help you identify the reason for your fear. It is also important to work on your self-esteem, so you are not easily led. Confronting your fears and working through them can be a lifesaver."},{"_id":"FOGHWEIWHRDURJUWY5ENWD3ZD4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727387996450},"type":"text","content":"October is Breast Cancer Awareness month<b> </b>and many women still don’t do monthly breast-self-exams or go for an annual mammogram because “the doctor might find something.” They forget that early detection often means a better outcome. That’s how my breast cancer was found 27 years ago through my routine annual mammogram. This month fight the fear and get your exam<b>.</b>"},{"_id":"3DR2LZTYRNCINKBLNNQCLQ22UM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727464462184},"type":"text","content":"Fear doesn’t have to control you; you control it with information and resolve. The words of President Franklin D. Roosevelt sum it up: “All we have to fear is fear itself.”"}],"display_date":"2024-10-02T10:00:00Z","credits":{"by":[{"image":{"version":"0.5.8","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/cbe63cfa-239a-44ea-bb77-e9441223d9de.png"},"socialLinks":[{"site":"email","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":""}],"social_links":[{"site":"email","url":""}],"name":"Monica Pearson","description":"","_id":"monica.pearson","additional_properties":{"original":{"lastName":"Pearson","image":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/cbe63cfa-239a-44ea-bb77-e9441223d9de.png","education":[],"longBio":"Monica Pearson, an iconic figure in Georgia broadcasting, continues her legacy as the beacon of insightful conversations on The Monica Pearson Show. For over three decades, Monica has been a guiding force in shaping Atlanta's media landscape, leaving an indelible mark as the first woman and minority to anchor the evening news in Atlanta.\n\nThroughout her illustrious career at WSB-TV, Monica garnered over 33 Southern Regional and local Emmy Awards for her remarkable reporting, anchoring, and captivating work on \"Closeups,\" her celebrity interview show. Her commitment to excellence has led to inductions into several esteemed halls of fame such as the National Association of Black Journalists and the Georgia Association of Broadcasters.\n\nMonica's multifaceted endeavors extend beyond broadcasting. A celebrated emcee, motivational speaker, and educator, she shares her wisdom and experiences, inspiring audiences with her dynamic presence. 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(Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com)","type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"custom","name":"AJC Freelancer","category":"wires"},"url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/GZ5C4CV5PQV5ERJ4HEPLYYYV3I.JPG","height":5348}},"canonical_url":"/opinion/columnists/dont-let-fear-guide-you-take-control-with-facts-and-knowledge/RY3Y6KUYTBFWRPTE25G5777N7Q/","_id":"RY3Y6KUYTBFWRPTE25G5777N7Q"},{"content_elements":[{"_id":"QK4QXZUIQ5FQBEYXKRGWWLTPUM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[]},"type":"text","content":"The first time Jen Barnett and her now husband, Brett Andrews, discussed permanently leaving the U.S. was in 2016."},{"_id":"56KPLGLNTNBLLIRVGPKI7C3XYY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[{"date":"","replies":[],"pos":331,"comment":"long-term ","type":"insert","user":"","email":""}],"comments":[{"date":"2024-10-01T18:03:46.419Z","replies":[],"start":178,"end":180,"text":"added canada here as vancouver as AP does not considered a standalone city","user":"Amanda DeArmon","email":"Amanda.DeArmon@ajc.com"}]},"type":"text","content":"Barnett, an Alabama native and Emory University alum, said rising political polarization in the U.S. and a long-standing desire to live abroad pushed them to scout out Vancouver, Canada, as a possible destination — with Seattle as a possible “blue state” home. But it turned out, neither city felt like a place they wanted to live long term."},{"_id":"QYZI3AUWMJAEBCZ4KU376H3PZQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[{"date":"2024-10-01T18:05:27.126Z","replies":[],"start":261,"end":263,"text":"added comma here","user":"Amanda DeArmon","email":"Amanda.DeArmon@ajc.com"}]},"type":"text","content":"So they shelved the idea until 2020 when the political rancor roared back. During a relaxing retreat, they compiled a list of 10 cities aligned with their values and desired lifestyle, then planned to visit each city over a decade. But a visit to Merida, Yucatan, in Mexico spurred them into action."},{"_id":"MP6CINPLCVDV7E662Q3LCJVNGE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[]},"type":"text","content":"Instead of waiting, in April, the couple relocated from Alabama to the town where they are now one of two expat families. And they used all of their research to start a business that helps other Americans plan how to leave the country."},{"_id":"RUILD4DXTBGIHJW4SWC45J7P4U","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[{"date":"","replies":[],"pos":118,"comment":"cofounder ","type":"insert","user":"","email":""}],"comments":[]},"type":"text","content":"“Americans do not have this legacy of immigrating. There isn’t institutional knowledge of where to go,” said Barnett, co-founder of Expatsi which organizes tours for Americans who want assistance with researching where to live outside of the U.S."},{"_id":"SUPKLQHDOVF4LNMAQBBQP7MQRQ","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"_id":"MZ5X4RFLABFKZI5M4OMI5S7OFM"},"type":"interstitial_link","content":"Are you stressed about the election? You’re not alone. Here are some ways to cope","url":"https://www.ajc.com/politics/do-you-have-anxiety-surrounding-the-election-heres-what-you-can-do-to-manage-it/KIXZEDZZQJAI3DQK6H5QEJ2UR4/"},{"_id":"LQ5IPYB2AJE5ZAO7CBMDQ6KJSM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[{"date":"","replies":[],"pos":145,"comment":"CQ ","type":"insert","user":"","email":""}],"comments":[]},"type":"text","content":"At least 5.4 million Americans, excluding military families, lived overseas in 2023 according to the Association of Americans Resident Overseas, an organization that advocates for Americans living abroad. A March poll from Monmouth University found that one-third (34%) of Americans would settle in another country if they were able to do so."},{"_id":"Z7SBMZSDGJD67E5EDHQNBBPT6I","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[]},"type":"text","content":"In the past, many Americans who opted to live abroad did so for jobs, familial ties, education or retirement. They have generally been older and wealthier but, in recent years, more younger Americans are also looking to make a permanent move out of the country."},{"_id":"Y2XPTNV6SREQVHSZYGQGQCHCZU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[]},"type":"text","content":"In a survey from <a href=\"http://howdy.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Howdy.com</a>, 69% of Gen Z and Millennial Americans said they think other countries have a better quality of life than the U.S. Some said they feel trapped in the U.S. and no longer view the country as a global leader. At least 25% of them are ready to leave the country for good."},{"_id":"MHL6OGLLBBENPFJWK3K33NOSFE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[{"date":"","replies":[],"pos":133,"comment":"1-in-4 ","type":"insert","user":"","email":""}],"comments":[]},"type":"text","content":"We have long relied on young Americans to be the agents of change that move us closer to the American dream, so it’s concerning when 1 in 4 no longer see the value in that dream. I’m not so troubled that people are leaving, but I am troubled by their reasons for leaving."},{"_id":"DBXGIHUJC5AVTPESRKM25NCPDA","additional_properties":{"nofollow":false,"selectedStory":false,"sponsored":false,"openInNewTab":false},"type":"interstitial_link","content":"Why the border crisis has worsened. Key factors explained","url":"https://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-news/how-many-illegal-border-crossings-have-there-been-since-2021/TBA4IWQTCRF3REC6G7SYWD75C4/"},{"_id":"EJJME3NKPJGMBBXV3JL5MPKV34","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[{"date":"2024-10-01T18:09:59.695Z","replies":[],"start":107,"end":109,"text":"added comma here","user":"Amanda DeArmon","email":"Amanda.DeArmon@ajc.com"}]},"type":"text","content":"Alex Ingrim, a financial adviser with global financial services firm Chase Buchanan based in Florence, Italy, has become an informal sounding board for Americans looking to transition to a life abroad."},{"_id":"WMVEDUFZ6NFSNEL5P6UZGUVFUY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[{"date":"","replies":[],"pos":199,"comment":",","type":"insert","user":"","email":""}],"comments":[]},"type":"text","content":"Most of his clients who want to move from the U.S. cite a few common factors that drove them out the door, he said. The general discourse in the country, the divisive politics, the 24-hour news cycle and the lack of safety rank high among the reasons Americans choose to live abroad. Another big driver is economics."},{"_id":"CYXC2LJDVJD3XNAWWVPZPHZ3IY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[]},"type":"text","content":"“The quality of life and the cost of living has changed a lot in the last 15 to 20 years. European destinations are more affordable, not just on holiday,” Ingrim said. “What you can afford and experience daily, even if you are retired, is better than most medium-sized cities in the U.S.”"},{"_id":"EY62N2QZX5D6TDSNDCPJFRUG3Y","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[]},"type":"text","content":"The more reasonable cost of living in other countries has led more middle-income Americans and more families with children to consider relocating abroad, he said. There have also been significant numbers of people who feel marginalized in the U.S. looking for community and belonging in other countries."},{"_id":"22UFUFARWVH3VGP54YPD7JUOJA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[]},"type":"text","content":"“In our practice, you have a disproportionately high number of people who are LGBTQ+, minorities, or … immigrants to the U.S. who have decided to leave after 20 to 30 years in the U.S.,” Ingrim said."},{"_id":"WZI63MZKVREW3K5LYVPXHJTKNI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[]},"type":"text","content":"People from groups that feel vulnerable, and a sense of uncertainty about their rights and personal lives have said those feelings led them to explore the path of leaving, according to Ingrim."},{"_id":"6BJNHOTWTNCJ5PA6VYX6UACK7Q","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"_id":"IUY32RTWLVG6XHAXDVXCGZKRKI"},"type":"interstitial_link","content":"OPINION: For some Atlanta residents, the new American dream isn’t always in America","url":"https://www.ajc.com/life/opinion-for-some-atlanta-residents-the-new-american-dream-isnt-always-in-america/DRIJMEQC5JBLJGYQL5O44GHSJY/"},{"_id":"LOTZU2JVDNBGREUIBI7MCNFWJM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[{"date":"","replies":[],"pos":241,"comment":"Millenials ","type":"insert","user":"","email":""}],"comments":[]},"type":"text","content":"Though the upcoming election may seem like the catalyst sparking current conversations about relocation, anyone who uses a single election as the basis for deciding to leave the country probably won’t find much peace abroad. Among Gen Z and Millennials, 27% said they would leave the country and live abroad if Donald Trump wins while 21% said they would leave if Kamala Harris wins."},{"_id":"YRRNT5XFEJDVXIXMH72YKPPM7A","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[]},"type":"text","content":"Leaving the country has been an ongoing topic of conversation with several of my friends but to date only one has relocated outside of the U.S. Two months ago, Sarah moved from Atlanta to Portugal with her family. She sends regular dispatches sharing everything from school news to instructions on how to order coffee in the local cafes. Friends have commented that she and her family look happier than ever."},{"_id":"V5OW5HAXDJGJZJEDZQMP7MFX6A","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[]},"type":"text","content":"I love this for her, but at the same time, I hate that life outside of America feels like the best and healthiest option for a growing number of Americans."},{"_id":"3A6IKI4AG5EFBD57HNQVWH7S3U","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[]},"type":"text","content":"Americans leaving America to live abroad for adventure and personal growth feels good. Americans leaving America<b> </b>to escape feeling unsettled and unsafe is nothing less than tragic."},{"_id":"4CEPMNHT3ZBBHOOFBCWCWE3EZM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[{"date":"","replies":[],"pos":65,"comment":" and","type":"insert","user":"","email":""}],"comments":[]},"type":"text","content":"<i>Read more on the Real Life blog (</i><a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/opinion/real-life-blog/\"><i>ajc.com/opinion/real-life-blog/</i></a><i>)</i><i>, find Nedra on Facebook (</i><a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/AJCRealLifeColumn\"><i>facebook.com/AJCRealLifeColumn</i></a><i>) and X (</i><a href=\"https://twitter.com/nrhoneajc\"><i>@nrhoneajc</i></a><i>) or email her at </i><a href=\"mailto:Nedra.Rhone@ajc.com\"><i>nedra.rhone@ajc.com</i></a><i>.</i>"},{"_id":"BZYLXX4CBFGRDCJHK5X7ZWRXIU","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"_id":"46ZRE5DBCZB4PAASVFS36EGXYQ"},"type":"interstitial_link","content":"Nedra Rhone: Read between the lines of book bans","url":"https://www.ajc.com/opinion/columnists/opinion-read-between-the-lines-of-book-bans/VGEMMVOIHJENPD32SPQL7VQDNE/"}],"display_date":"2024-10-02T09:00:00Z","credits":{"by":[{"image":{"version":"0.5.8","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/98f2f50c-d4da-49ae-9bde-27e4311ab5ad.png"},"socialLinks":[{"site":"email","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"nedra.rhone@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"https://twitter.com/nrhoneajc"}],"social_links":[{"site":"email","url":"nedra.rhone@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","url":"https://twitter.com/nrhoneajc"}],"name":"Nedra Rhone","description":"Nedra Rhone is a lifestyle columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution where she has been a reporter since 2006. 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Previously, Rhone was a staff writer at Newsday where her first assignment was covering the devastating impact of 9/11 on the families and communities of Long Island. She later covered K-12 education for Long Island's 125 school districts and is a Pulitzer Prize finalist for her reporting on women in hip-hop. ","org":"ajc","affiliations":"The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","bio":"Nedra Rhone is a lifestyle columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution where she has been a reporter since 2006. 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We should be concerned."},"first_publish_date":"2024-10-02T09:00:01.194Z","taxonomy":{"primary_site":{"path":"/opinion/columnists","parent_id":"/opinion","name":"AJC Columnists","description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","_id":"/opinion/columnists","additional_properties":{"original":{"parent":{"AmpNav":"/opinion","default":"/opinion","MainMenu2024":"/opinion","BottomNav":null,"TopNavRedesign":null,"SectionMap":"/","MainMenuRedesign2021":null,"TopNav":null,"ComposerNav":"/opinion"},"site":{"section_comments_enabled":"Yes","site_description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","site_title":"AJC Columnists"},"navigation":{"nav_title":"AJC Columnists"},"inactive":false,"node_type":"section","name":"AJC Columnists","_id":"/opinion/columnists","ancestors":{"MainMenu2024":["/","/opinion"],"TopNavRedesign":[],"SectionMap":["/"],"MainMenuRedesign2021":[],"TopNav":[],"ComposerNav":["/opinion"]},"order":{"MainMenu2024":2002,"SectionMap":1068,"ComposerNav":2003}}},"type":"site","version":"0.5.8"},"sections":[{"path":"/opinion/columnists","parent":{"default":"/opinion"},"_website":"ajc","parent_id":"/opinion","name":"AJC Columnists","description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","_id":"/opinion/columnists","additional_properties":{"original":{"parent":{"AmpNav":"/opinion","default":"/opinion","MainMenu2024":"/opinion","BottomNav":null,"TopNavRedesign":null,"SectionMap":"/","MainMenuRedesign2021":null,"TopNav":null,"ComposerNav":"/opinion"},"site":{"section_comments_enabled":"Yes","site_description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","site_title":"AJC Columnists"},"navigation":{"nav_title":"AJC Columnists"},"inactive":false,"node_type":"section","_website":"ajc","name":"AJC Columnists","_id":"/opinion/columnists","ancestors":{"MainMenu2024":["/","/opinion"],"TopNavRedesign":[],"SectionMap":["/"],"MainMenuRedesign2021":[],"TopNav":[],"ComposerNav":["/opinion"]},"order":{"MainMenu2024":2002,"SectionMap":1068,"ComposerNav":2003}}},"_website_section_id":"ajc./opinion/columnists","type":"section","version":"0.6.0"},{"path":"/opinion","parent":{"default":"/"},"_website":"ajc","parent_id":"/","name":"Opinion","description":"Opinion articles from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{"sponsor":{"sponsor_url_open_new_tab":"false","sponsor_desktop_banner":"","sponsor_mobile_banner":"","sponsor_url":""},"parent":{"AmpNav":"/","subnav_opinion":null,"TopicsBar2023":"/","BottomNav":null,"TopNavRedesign":null,"SectionMap":"/","TopNav":null,"TopicsBar":null,"ComposerNav":"/","subnav_homepage":null,"default":"/","MainMenu2024":"/","MainMenuRedesign2021":null},"site":{"site_url":"/opinion/","section_comments_enabled":"Yes","site_description":"Opinion articles from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","site_title":"Opinion"},"navigation":{"nav_title":"Opinion"},"inactive":false,"node_type":"section","_website":"ajc","name":"Opinion","_id":"/opinion","ancestors":{"subnav_opinion":[],"TopicsBar2023":["/"],"MainMenu2024":["/"],"TopNavRedesign":[],"SectionMap":["/"],"MainMenuRedesign2021":[],"TopNav":[],"TopicsBar":[],"ComposerNav":["/"],"subnav_homepage":[]},"order":{"AmpNav":1033,"TopicsBar2023":1008,"default":1083,"MainMenu2024":1008,"SectionMap":1086,"ComposerNav":1011}}},"_website_section_id":"ajc./opinion","type":"section","version":"0.6.0"}],"primary_section":{"path":"/opinion/columnists","name":"AJC Columnists"},"tags":[{"text":"lifestyle"},{"text":"atlanta-news-metro.ajc"},{"text":"real life blog"},{"text":"teamdan"},{"text":"opt-test"}]},"label":{"tease_label":{"display":true,"text":"OPINION"},"custom_label":{"display":true,"text":"Real Life with Nedra Rhone"}},"type":"story","last_updated_date":"2024-10-02T17:29:25.489Z","promo_items":{"basic":{"credits":{"affiliation":[],"by":[{"name":"Expatsi","type":"author","byline":"Expatsi"}]},"subtitle":"Expatsi helps Americans relocate to other countries","width":3019,"caption":"Jen Barnett (third from right) and Brett Andrews (kneeling) co-founded Expatsi to help Americans scout destinations abroad for relocation. 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That comes late tonight into Friday morning and that was ALWAYS the forecast … That’s it, that’s the post.”"},{"_id":"N7MZYD7SUFHNTJFE2YAEFTYOSI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727385933197},"type":"text","content":"I met Shepherd years ago when I was an environment reporter, and we talked many times about climate change. This isn’t a man who is easily agitated but I could sense the exasperation in his words directed at anyone insistent on believing that Hurricane Helene was just a lot of hype."},{"_id":"KFTCLXBVZJCN5OBLVNW3OGDCWY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727385933198},"type":"text","content":"Years ago, I was that type of Georgian — a nonnative from the Midwest who thought I was tougher than any weather Georgia could throw at me."},{"_id":"2XYHBIN6K5BKZGLGUMHKK65UFU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727385933199},"type":"text","content":"Georgia had the heat, I thought, but I had lived through blizzards!"},{"_id":"MLCICEGICFGUNHCSUSRJRS2XS4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727385933200},"type":"text","content":"I had walked through snow drifts twice my height. I survived a spin out into oncoming traffic on Chicago’s icy lakefront highway. And don’t get me started on tornadoes. Give me a cozy spot in a windowless bathroom or basement and I could sleep right through one."},{"_id":"5G6ZAFYRNVHC7AS6GV5CYPGY4I","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727385933201},"type":"text","content":"When I first moved to Georgia almost 20 years ago, I smirked when locals cleared store shelves and hunkered down in anticipation of bad weather, but lately it seems the joke is on me. Increasingly, the weather in Georgia and the southeast makes states near the Great Lakes look like a climatological paradise."},{"_id":"CACLU7LUA5FY7B5GO7635GOSMM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727385933202},"type":"text","content":"This summer, heat indexes across the south — in southeast Alabama, Florida’s Panhandle and South Georgia — reached 111 degrees and in the future that could regularly exceed 130 degrees, according to climate models."},{"_id":"LDX3VBCHO5EF5GD6HMZFHPFETE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727385933203},"type":"text","content":"While hurricanes may or may not increase in number, they have already increased in intensity and they travel at slower speeds leaving more damage in their wake, say climate scientists. Marshall noted that hurricane conditions are flowing into inland areas more frequently rather than only impacting coastal areas."},{"_id":"HXSZWQ6645AFXNQ2JVMHW4SDJQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727385933204},"type":"text","content":"So I understand why Marshall sounds frustrated when people question the forecasting of meteorologists. It is difficult to give accurate messaging when competing with rampant cynicism, complacency and optimism bias, he said. “I urge everyone in potentially affected regions to resist the urge to ignore these warnings or view them as hype,” Marshall wrote Wednesday in a column for Forbes Magazine."},{"_id":"GBMWWBXNCBB45OROCBKHONS3G4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727385933205},"type":"text","content":"Weather events are changing in Georgia and the southeast and our attitudes about them must change as well. I learned this the hard way."},{"_id":"G5I65KTGBVHFTITLSKM4RWYRCY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727385933206},"type":"text","content":"Several climate scientists have compared Hurricane Helene to Hurricane Irma in 2017. That was the last time metro Atlanta sustained tropical storm winds bringing power outages and fallen trees to areas that generally avoid a hurricane’s wrath."},{"_id":"XX5DWKIDV5CZRI2AI24ZSLCCNA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727385933207},"type":"text","content":"As soon as I heard the comparisons to Hurricane Irma, I understood what was coming."},{"_id":"CXISUVG2UZCDRDJSBMOK7GFYKM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727385933208},"type":"text","content":"In the spring of 2017, I had just moved into my new home in southeast Atlanta. A few months later, on Sept. 11, Hurricane season brought Irma to my door. I had listened to weather forecasts and while I was concerned, I wasn’t convinced I needed to do much more than locate a flashlight and batteries."},{"_id":"D3U6CHQTGRGELLG2LVQDW72J4U","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727385933209},"type":"text","content":"Weaving through the aisles of Target, I tossed random items into my cart. Then I ran into my neighbors. We laughed that we were buying junk food and wine, then the conversation turned serious."},{"_id":"NCWWF4RASJASLG7HCWRVHFNIFE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727385933210},"type":"text","content":"“Hey, I think that tree may come down,” my neighbor Mary said."},{"_id":"MXP5XALRRBCEDO3QP6RI3IGXDE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727390950596},"type":"text","content":"She was talking about the giant oak tree between their front yard and my driveway. On the outside, the tree, which I secretly named Bessie, was worn and weary but still stood high above our homes shielding us from summer’s heat."},{"_id":"5EGEUXYT4ZBXZG4ISJH4CDS6Z4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727385933211},"type":"text","content":"Mary offered to let me park my car in their driveway just in case. I declined."},{"_id":"MFW5OMOL6REGDIERZPUA6M2FUA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727385933212},"type":"text","content":"We parted ways and went home to wait."},{"_id":"GVO2ZBMUVNAUHIWIMKNHWBJB6M","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727385933213},"type":"text","content":"My daughter and I were sitting in the living room listening to music and playing a game when we noticed the wind and rain had grown stronger. About 15 minutes later, we heard a rumbling sound, like a dozen Hurby Curbies blowing down the street. We ran to the window, certain that someone had lost their trash cans in the wind."},{"_id":"BC4XBE7YWNHOHMYOXQWDSWQST4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727385933214},"type":"text","content":"All we saw was a thick curtain of branches and leaves stretched across the driveway and the front lawn. Mary’s warnings had been prophetic."},{"_id":"MWZZGD7LS5D7ZO2NSY4BGOM2TA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727385933215},"type":"text","content":"Bessie looked strong on the outside, but inside she was hollow and her weakened trunk couldn’t withstand the 65 mph winds Irma threw her way. Bessie’s limbs were tangled in the power lines and she hit the ground with enough force to knock the water line loose as well."},{"_id":"727USXIJPJA47JVT42ZXFKNUDE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727385933216},"type":"text","content":"We did not have electricity. We did not have water. My car was totaled and my daughter was in tears. Despite fair warnings from meteorologists and my neighbor, I had been caught off guard."},{"_id":"ZUWQTO3OE5D7ZHZ4GJEZXJZXVY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727385933217},"type":"text","content":"Neighbors streamed outside to help. They called the police and the power company and offered us shelter until the storm ended. The next 48 hours were a blur."},{"_id":"V77GZ3TYNRDMTENCOPVQSUGTWY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727385933218},"type":"text","content":"It would take weeks for me to get everything straightened out — insurance claims, tree removal, new plumbing, a massive water bill — but I was grateful that we hadn’t suffered more damage and loss."},{"_id":"JYEPYD5YL5BFXKAVEV2HKP22EY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727385933219},"type":"text","content":"I have empathy for anyone who suffers the devastating impact of a hurricane. My own experience taught me always to heed the lessons of history and the knowledge of people who know more about these things than I do."},{"_id":"4CEPMNHT3ZBBHOOFBCWCWE3EZM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727384478789},"type":"text","content":"<i>Read more on the Real Life blog (</i><a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/opinion/real-life-blog/\"><i>www.ajc.com/opinion/real-life-blog/</i></a><i>) and find Nedra on Facebook (</i><a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/AJCRealLifeColumn\"><i>www.facebook.com/AJCRealLifeColumn</i></a><i>) and X (</i><a href=\"https://twitter.com/nrhoneajc\"><i>@nrhoneajc</i></a><i>) or email her at </i><a href=\"mailto:Nedra.Rhone@ajc.com\"><i>nedra.rhone@ajc.com</i></a><i>.</i>"}],"display_date":"2024-09-27T10:49:30.555Z","credits":{"by":[{"image":{"version":"0.5.8","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/98f2f50c-d4da-49ae-9bde-27e4311ab5ad.png"},"socialLinks":[{"site":"email","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"nedra.rhone@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"https://twitter.com/nrhoneajc"}],"social_links":[{"site":"email","url":"nedra.rhone@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","url":"https://twitter.com/nrhoneajc"}],"name":"Nedra Rhone","description":"Nedra Rhone is a lifestyle columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution where she has been a reporter since 2006. A graduate of Columbia University School of Journalism, she enjoys writing about the people, places and events that define metro Atlanta.","_id":"nedra-rhone","additional_properties":{"original":{"lastName":"Rhone","image":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/98f2f50c-d4da-49ae-9bde-27e4311ab5ad.png","role":"Lifestyle Columnist","education":[{"name":"University of Pennsylvania, Bachelor's degree in Economics"},{"name":"Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism"}],"longBio":"Nedra Rhone is a lifestyle columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution where she has been a reporter since 2006. A graduate of Columbia University School of Journalism, she enjoys writing about the people, places and events that define metro Atlanta. She has written about style, entertainment, personal finance and the environment for the AJC. Previously, Rhone was a staff writer at Newsday where her first assignment was covering the devastating impact of 9/11 on the families and communities of Long Island. She later covered K-12 education for Long Island's 125 school districts and is a Pulitzer Prize finalist for her reporting on women in hip-hop. ","org":"ajc","affiliations":"The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","bio":"Nedra Rhone is a lifestyle columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution where she has been a reporter since 2006. A graduate of Columbia University School of Journalism, she enjoys writing about the people, places and events that define metro Atlanta.","expertise":"2,7,16","author_type":"Staff","firstName":"Nedra","twitter":"https://twitter.com/nrhoneajc","books":[],"podcasts":[],"awards":[],"custom_ajc_phone":"404-526-5465","custom_ajc_website":"ajc","_id":"nedra-rhone","last_updated_date":"2024-08-01T19:40:05.320Z","byline":"Nedra Rhone","email":"nedra.rhone@ajc.com","status":true}},"type":"author","version":"0.5.8"}]},"subtype":"Article","headlines":{"basic":"RHONE: I ignored the warnings. Then a tree crushed my car"},"first_publish_date":"2024-09-27T10:49:30.555Z","taxonomy":{"primary_site":{"path":"/opinion/columnists","parent_id":"/opinion","name":"AJC Columnists","description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","_id":"/opinion/columnists","additional_properties":{"original":{"parent":{"AmpNav":"/opinion","default":"/opinion","MainMenu2024":"/opinion","BottomNav":null,"TopNavRedesign":null,"SectionMap":"/","MainMenuRedesign2021":null,"TopNav":null,"ComposerNav":"/opinion"},"site":{"section_comments_enabled":"Yes","site_description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","site_title":"AJC Columnists"},"navigation":{"nav_title":"AJC Columnists"},"inactive":false,"node_type":"section","name":"AJC Columnists","_id":"/opinion/columnists","ancestors":{"MainMenu2024":["/","/opinion"],"TopNavRedesign":[],"SectionMap":["/"],"MainMenuRedesign2021":[],"TopNav":[],"ComposerNav":["/opinion"]},"order":{"MainMenu2024":2002,"SectionMap":1068,"ComposerNav":2003}}},"type":"site","version":"0.5.8"},"sections":[{"path":"/opinion/columnists","parent":{"default":"/opinion"},"_website":"ajc","parent_id":"/opinion","name":"AJC Columnists","description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","_id":"/opinion/columnists","additional_properties":{"original":{"parent":{"AmpNav":"/opinion","default":"/opinion","MainMenu2024":"/opinion","BottomNav":null,"TopNavRedesign":null,"SectionMap":"/","MainMenuRedesign2021":null,"TopNav":null,"ComposerNav":"/opinion"},"site":{"section_comments_enabled":"Yes","site_description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","site_title":"AJC Columnists"},"navigation":{"nav_title":"AJC Columnists"},"inactive":false,"node_type":"section","_website":"ajc","name":"AJC Columnists","_id":"/opinion/columnists","ancestors":{"MainMenu2024":["/","/opinion"],"TopNavRedesign":[],"SectionMap":["/"],"MainMenuRedesign2021":[],"TopNav":[],"ComposerNav":["/opinion"]},"order":{"MainMenu2024":2002,"SectionMap":1068,"ComposerNav":2003}}},"_website_section_id":"ajc./opinion/columnists","type":"section","version":"0.6.0"},{"path":"/opinion","parent":{"default":"/"},"_website":"ajc","parent_id":"/","name":"Opinion","description":"Opinion articles from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{"sponsor":{"sponsor_url_open_new_tab":"false","sponsor_desktop_banner":"","sponsor_mobile_banner":"","sponsor_url":""},"parent":{"AmpNav":"/","subnav_opinion":null,"TopicsBar2023":"/","BottomNav":null,"TopNavRedesign":null,"SectionMap":"/","TopNav":null,"TopicsBar":null,"ComposerNav":"/","subnav_homepage":null,"default":"/","MainMenu2024":"/","MainMenuRedesign2021":null},"site":{"site_url":"/opinion/","section_comments_enabled":"Yes","site_description":"Opinion articles from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","site_title":"Opinion"},"navigation":{"nav_title":"Opinion"},"inactive":false,"node_type":"section","_website":"ajc","name":"Opinion","_id":"/opinion","ancestors":{"subnav_opinion":[],"TopicsBar2023":["/"],"MainMenu2024":["/"],"TopNavRedesign":[],"SectionMap":["/"],"MainMenuRedesign2021":[],"TopNav":[],"TopicsBar":[],"ComposerNav":["/"],"subnav_homepage":[]},"order":{"AmpNav":1033,"TopicsBar2023":1008,"default":1083,"MainMenu2024":1008,"SectionMap":1086,"ComposerNav":1011}}},"_website_section_id":"ajc./opinion","type":"section","version":"0.6.0"}],"primary_section":{"path":"/opinion/columnists","name":"AJC Columnists"},"tags":[{"text":"lifestyle"},{"text":"atlanta-news-metro.ajc"},{"text":"real life blog"},{"text":"teamdan"},{"text":"weather"},{"text":"hurricane news"},{"text":"opt-test"}]},"label":{"custom_label":{"display":true,"text":"Real Life with Nedra Rhone"}},"type":"story","last_updated_date":"2024-09-27T19:57:56.035Z","promo_items":{"basic":{"credits":{"affiliation":[],"by":[{"image":{"version":"0.5.8","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/98f2f50c-d4da-49ae-9bde-27e4311ab5ad.png"},"socialLinks":[{"site":"email","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"nedra.rhone@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"https://twitter.com/nrhoneajc"}],"social_links":[{"site":"email","url":"nedra.rhone@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","url":"https://twitter.com/nrhoneajc"}],"name":"Nedra Rhone","description":"Nedra Rhone is a lifestyle columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution where she has been a reporter since 2006. A graduate of Columbia University School of Journalism, she enjoys writing about the people, places and events that define metro Atlanta.","_id":"nedra-rhone","additional_properties":{"original":{"lastName":"Rhone","image":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/98f2f50c-d4da-49ae-9bde-27e4311ab5ad.png","role":"Lifestyle Columnist","education":[{"name":"University of Pennsylvania, Bachelor's degree in Economics"},{"name":"Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism"}],"longBio":"Nedra Rhone is a lifestyle columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution where she has been a reporter since 2006. A graduate of Columbia University School of Journalism, she enjoys writing about the people, places and events that define metro Atlanta. She has written about style, entertainment, personal finance and the environment for the AJC. Previously, Rhone was a staff writer at Newsday where her first assignment was covering the devastating impact of 9/11 on the families and communities of Long Island. She later covered K-12 education for Long Island's 125 school districts and is a Pulitzer Prize finalist for her reporting on women in hip-hop. ","org":"ajc","affiliations":"The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","bio":"Nedra Rhone is a lifestyle columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution where she has been a reporter since 2006. A graduate of Columbia University School of Journalism, she enjoys writing about the people, places and events that define metro Atlanta.","expertise":"2,7,16","author_type":"Staff","firstName":"Nedra","twitter":"https://twitter.com/nrhoneajc","books":[],"podcasts":[],"awards":[],"custom_ajc_phone":"404-526-5465","custom_ajc_website":"ajc","_id":"nedra-rhone","last_updated_date":"2024-08-01T19:40:05.320Z","byline":"Nedra Rhone","email":"nedra.rhone@ajc.com","status":true}},"type":"author","version":"0.5.8"}]},"subtitle":"Tree v Car","width":4032,"caption":"Meteorologists have compared Hurricane Helene to 2017's Hurricane Irma. AJC columnist Nedra Rhone reflects on the lesson she learned when Hurricane Irma downed a tree on her property leaving her with no water, no electricity and no car for several days.","type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"8aec2b8c-455c-4816-903d-79fc8fdf8019"},"url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/J3MQROU5VVDOZMOANVSBKUCOF4.JPG","height":3024}},"canonical_url":"/opinion/columnists/rhone-riding-out-hurricane-helene-is-no-time-for-cynicism/DXL5O567D5HBFMASL2N32PMRXI/","_id":"DXL5O567D5HBFMASL2N32PMRXI"},{"content_elements":[{"_id":"BCIYXVXQNBFOBBBYK7EBFIFONY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727186054845},"type":"text","content":"The lyrics from a catchy ’80s tune have been running through my head for the past week."},{"_id":"FNLOGGLTQNFXBDBNBRSS4VVDAE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727186054846},"type":"text","content":"“Stop spreading those rumors around. Stop spreading those lies.”"},{"_id":"ZEN2HP32ZVCFZHVSE2YZNNQ3GI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727186054847},"type":"text","content":"Calling to mind this 1986 song by Timex Social Club was the lighthearted way I dealt with heavy emotions about the impact recent political rumors have had on the country."},{"_id":"OEHIGEG36JGAXLGLXQMRURX6FY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727186054848},"type":"text","content":"All week long, I read dispatches from Springfield, Ohio, recounting the school closures, bomb threats, deployment of state troopers and fear of some residents thanks to the rumors promulgated by Donald Trump during the presidential debate with Vice President Kamala Harris earlier this month."},{"_id":"4UF5MDHJ7ZGIPGHETCBDC46BJU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727186054849},"type":"text","content":"Trump repeated a rumor that migrants from Haiti were eating the pets of Springfield residents. It’s alarming that anyone could speak such drivel, particularly a presidential candidate, but this is the bar we’ve set."},{"_id":"3MJ3BEK4M5C5NPFI74SCSEJZNA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727186054850},"type":"text","content":"Community members and faith leaders gathered over the weekend at several events in Springfield designed to bring residents together. At these events, locals expressed support for the Haitian community amid the ill will that has been thrown their way for two weeks."},{"_id":"C4LOYH3QU5APPF2ALDLNXVKOCE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727186054851},"type":"text","content":"Some residents helped raise money for the migrants or patronized Haitian-owned businesses in solidarity. But at the same time, the rumor continues to fuel anti-immigrant sentiment nationwide."},{"_id":"74SQZSJIINGVBGAPO6IDQHP7CA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727186054852},"type":"text","content":"On Monday, Springfield Mayor Rob Rue’s voice quivered with emotion as he discussed the threats his own family has received. He expressed concern, if not surprise, that Republican leaders, particularly vice presidential candidate JD Vance, have continued to promote the rumor."},{"_id":"YCIAMUFNTZH2VNYK3BEXORUVIA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727186054853},"type":"text","content":"Rue told MSNBC that he and city staff are “asking that leaders at the national stage speak well of our city and understand the weight of their words and the impact that it has had on our city.”"},{"_id":"JJHE4URS4ZHCRMQDH73PLGLY7I","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727186054854},"type":"text","content":"It was a polite way of telling Vance and Trump to knock it off, but maybe it’s time to stop being nice."},{"_id":"N6HQJWV5DVD57NRHFHQAWOUE7M","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727186054855},"type":"text","content":"We all have likely been the subject of rumors, perhaps more often than we know since every rumor about us doesn’t always get back to us. I’ve felt the weight of rumor personally in the past year, and while I would normally confront the source, for now I’ve had to settle for accepting that anyone who really knows me knows that the rumor isn’t true."},{"_id":"ZHURRSHUFZCB7ALK2KWVPAB3WY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727186054856},"type":"text","content":"It is a natural impulse for the target of a rumor to want to debunk the lie and defend themselves. But rumors are stubborn — according to Cass Sunstein, a legal scholar at Harvard University — and some of the most damaging rumors resist correction."},{"_id":"K7X6DEWRLNEHJLV4DQ5TBJTPIE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727186054857},"type":"text","content":"News stories over the past week have focused on the impact this rumor has had on the Haitian community, highlighting the fear they have for their lives and their livelihoods. Some stories have documented their efforts to work hard and gain a foothold in America while escaping instability in their country. The stories are meant to engender feelings of empathy and reflect a community that has embraced American values, but these stories won’t do much to change the viewpoints of people who believe the rumors they are hearing."},{"_id":"OXRDCZNVXRCSPGTVZVETHQGHZU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727186054858},"type":"text","content":"Adam Berinsky, a political scientist from MIT and author of “Political Rumors,” said more political elites than ever before are using rumors as weapons. And while it isn’t easy to combat the problem, he said, we can start thinking about the solution in a different way. When trying to debunk political rumors we should focus on the messenger and not the message, he said in an interview with MIT News."},{"_id":"ZV4K4COPGVECHOGA552LMJGEFE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727186054859},"type":"text","content":"Getting to the truth involves more than providing accurate information from neutral, trusted sources, Berinsky found in his research. It requires someone to step up and tell the truth even when the truth doesn’t serve their own perceived self-interest."},{"_id":"2FJRGZDVUVC27KPZFIOFYTYFZ4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727186054860},"type":"text","content":"I was encouraged when I spied a recent op-ed in The New York Times from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine. His words extolled the virtues of his hometown, noted that the Haitian migrants arrived legally and want to work and he shared insights gained during his numerous travels to Haiti."},{"_id":"7ODXTAMRMREOLGEH2QDLDIEKXQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727186054861},"type":"text","content":"He also described some of the very real issues the city has faced as it tries to absorb thousands of immigrants. But only one sentence was devoted to calling out Vance and Trump for their bad behavior, and it was a softball. DeWine said he was saddened by “how they and others continue to repeat claims that lack evidence and disparage the legal migrants living in Springfield.”"},{"_id":"TQECP2I24REB7PXCRC3G7PCOGM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727186054862},"type":"text","content":"Politicians play an important role in shaping public beliefs, and when they aren’t behaving responsibly they should be held accountable, especially by their peers. It’s not enough for DeWine and Rue to politely ask Trump and Vance to stop reinforcing the rumor. The Ohio government officials have a clear self-interest in preserving order in their state and city, respectively."},{"_id":"UBYQ6I6XCVB23FAWCJNYUN6KU4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[{"pos":3,"comment":"squash"}],"comments":[],"_id":1727186054863},"type":"text","content":"To quash this rumor, political leaders who have something to lose need to step up and speak up. Because right now, an ’80s R&B song is offering more direction to the country than the elected officials we look to for guidance."},{"_id":"4CEPMNHT3ZBBHOOFBCWCWE3EZM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1727186054864},"type":"text","content":"<i>Read more on the Real Life blog (</i><a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/opinion/real-life-blog/\"><i>www.ajc.com/opinion/real-life-blog/</i></a><i>) and find Nedra on Facebook (</i><a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/AJCRealLifeColumn\"><i>www.facebook.com/AJCRealLifeColumn</i></a><i>) and X (</i><a href=\"https://twitter.com/nrhoneajc\"><i>@nrhoneajc</i></a><i>) or email her at </i><a href=\"mailto:Nedra.Rhone@ajc.com\"><i>nedra.rhone@ajc.com</i></a><i>.</i>"}],"display_date":"2024-09-25T09:00:00Z","credits":{"by":[{"image":{"version":"0.5.8","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/98f2f50c-d4da-49ae-9bde-27e4311ab5ad.png"},"socialLinks":[{"site":"email","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"nedra.rhone@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"https://twitter.com/nrhoneajc"}],"social_links":[{"site":"email","url":"nedra.rhone@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","url":"https://twitter.com/nrhoneajc"}],"name":"Nedra Rhone","description":"Nedra Rhone is a lifestyle columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution where she has been a reporter since 2006. A graduate of Columbia University School of Journalism, she enjoys writing about the people, places and events that define metro Atlanta.","_id":"nedra-rhone","additional_properties":{"original":{"lastName":"Rhone","image":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/98f2f50c-d4da-49ae-9bde-27e4311ab5ad.png","role":"Lifestyle Columnist","education":[{"name":"University of Pennsylvania, Bachelor's degree in Economics"},{"name":"Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism"}],"longBio":"Nedra Rhone is a lifestyle columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution where she has been a reporter since 2006. A graduate of Columbia University School of Journalism, she enjoys writing about the people, places and events that define metro Atlanta. She has written about style, entertainment, personal finance and the environment for the AJC. Previously, Rhone was a staff writer at Newsday where her first assignment was covering the devastating impact of 9/11 on the families and communities of Long Island. She later covered K-12 education for Long Island's 125 school districts and is a Pulitzer Prize finalist for her reporting on women in hip-hop. ","org":"ajc","affiliations":"The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","bio":"Nedra Rhone is a lifestyle columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution where she has been a reporter since 2006. A graduate of Columbia University School of Journalism, she enjoys writing about the people, places and events that define metro Atlanta.","expertise":"2,7,16","author_type":"Staff","firstName":"Nedra","twitter":"https://twitter.com/nrhoneajc","books":[],"podcasts":[],"awards":[],"custom_ajc_phone":"404-526-5465","custom_ajc_website":"ajc","_id":"nedra-rhone","last_updated_date":"2024-08-01T19:40:05.320Z","byline":"Nedra Rhone","email":"nedra.rhone@ajc.com","status":true}},"type":"author","version":"0.5.8"}]},"subtype":"Article","headlines":{"basic":"RHONE: To end political rumors, look to the messenger and not the message"},"first_publish_date":"2024-09-25T09:00:01.131Z","taxonomy":{"primary_site":{"path":"/opinion/columnists","parent_id":"/opinion","name":"AJC Columnists","description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","_id":"/opinion/columnists","additional_properties":{"original":{"parent":{"AmpNav":"/opinion","default":"/opinion","MainMenu2024":"/opinion","BottomNav":null,"TopNavRedesign":null,"SectionMap":"/","MainMenuRedesign2021":null,"TopNav":null,"ComposerNav":"/opinion"},"site":{"section_comments_enabled":"Yes","site_description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","site_title":"AJC Columnists"},"navigation":{"nav_title":"AJC Columnists"},"inactive":false,"node_type":"section","name":"AJC Columnists","_id":"/opinion/columnists","ancestors":{"MainMenu2024":["/","/opinion"],"TopNavRedesign":[],"SectionMap":["/"],"MainMenuRedesign2021":[],"TopNav":[],"ComposerNav":["/opinion"]},"order":{"MainMenu2024":2002,"SectionMap":1068,"ComposerNav":2003}}},"type":"site","version":"0.5.8"},"sections":[{"path":"/opinion/columnists","parent":{"default":"/opinion"},"_website":"ajc","parent_id":"/opinion","name":"AJC Columnists","description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","_id":"/opinion/columnists","additional_properties":{"original":{"parent":{"AmpNav":"/opinion","default":"/opinion","MainMenu2024":"/opinion","BottomNav":null,"TopNavRedesign":null,"SectionMap":"/","MainMenuRedesign2021":null,"TopNav":null,"ComposerNav":"/opinion"},"site":{"section_comments_enabled":"Yes","site_description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","site_title":"AJC Columnists"},"navigation":{"nav_title":"AJC Columnists"},"inactive":false,"node_type":"section","_website":"ajc","name":"AJC Columnists","_id":"/opinion/columnists","ancestors":{"MainMenu2024":["/","/opinion"],"TopNavRedesign":[],"SectionMap":["/"],"MainMenuRedesign2021":[],"TopNav":[],"ComposerNav":["/opinion"]},"order":{"MainMenu2024":2002,"SectionMap":1068,"ComposerNav":2003}}},"_website_section_id":"ajc./opinion/columnists","type":"section","version":"0.6.0"},{"path":"/opinion","parent":{"default":"/"},"_website":"ajc","parent_id":"/","name":"Opinion","description":"Opinion articles from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{"parent":{"AmpNav":"/","subnav_opinion":null,"TopicsBar2023":"/","BottomNav":null,"TopNavRedesign":null,"SectionMap":"/","TopNav":null,"TopicsBar":null,"ComposerNav":"/","subnav_homepage":null,"default":"/","MainMenu2024":"/","MainMenuRedesign2021":null},"site":{"site_url":"/opinion/","section_comments_enabled":"Yes","site_description":"Opinion articles from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","site_title":"Opinion"},"navigation":{"nav_title":"Opinion"},"inactive":false,"node_type":"section","_website":"ajc","name":"Opinion","Sponsor":{"sponsor_url_open_new_tab":"false","sponsor_desktop_banner":"","sponsor_mobile_banner":"","sponsor_url":""},"_id":"/opinion","ancestors":{"subnav_opinion":[],"TopicsBar2023":["/"],"MainMenu2024":["/"],"TopNavRedesign":[],"SectionMap":["/"],"MainMenuRedesign2021":[],"TopNav":[],"TopicsBar":[],"ComposerNav":["/"],"subnav_homepage":[]},"order":{"AmpNav":1033,"TopicsBar2023":1008,"default":1083,"MainMenu2024":1008,"SectionMap":1086,"ComposerNav":1011}}},"_website_section_id":"ajc./opinion","type":"section","version":"0.6.0"}],"primary_section":{"path":"/opinion/columnists","name":"AJC Columnists"},"tags":[{"text":"lifestyle"},{"text":"atlanta-news-metro.ajc"},{"text":"real life blog"},{"text":"teamdan"},{"text":"UATL"},{"text":"opinion"}]},"label":{"tease_label":{"display":true,"text":"OPINION"},"custom_label":{"display":true,"text":"Real Life with Nedra Rhone"}},"type":"story","last_updated_date":"2024-09-25T14:03:43.726Z","promo_items":{"basic":{"type":"reference"}},"canonical_url":"/opinion/columnists/rhone-to-end-political-rumors-look-to-the-messenger-not-the-message/DVH3L2TAORHY5BPBOWTYVB7D3E/","_id":"DVH3L2TAORHY5BPBOWTYVB7D3E"},{"content_elements":[{"_id":"5OKXZAU3EREFLGCCR7CDEWKU44","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726753919366},"type":"text","content":"Atlanta Vintage Books is known for its selection of gently used, vintage and collectible books. But each year when Banned Books Week rolls around, the team at the Brookhaven bookstore goes on a shopping spree."},{"_id":"R5WPGINGBBE2NGYH5PMRO4UNGU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726762212805},"type":"text","content":"“The only new books we buy are banned books,” said Michele Bolgla."},{"_id":"KB3XFIAZOFGNVEJFKWEUUIWXRU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[{"pos":9,"comment":"Today (for print)"}],"comments":[],"_id":1726753919368},"type":"text","content":"Sept. 22 marks the start of Banned Books Week and Bolgla said they are 100% determined to keep books on the banned list in stock. Customers love to see the display in the front of the store, she said, and they spend time examining and commenting on every book."},{"_id":"XUUMXSDN6RHZVMRG2X4SVVO6UI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726753919369},"type":"text","content":"“They say: ‘I had to read that in school. Who is banning it?’” Bolgla said. “They are shocked.”"},{"_id":"GSLY2HT7S5DM5LMYTLPREWU5SQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726753919370},"type":"text","content":"I’m shocked that anyone would be unaware of books in Georgia being banned."},{"_id":"3NPWGQMTYZBOTBTPZELWBWEVBM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726753919371},"type":"text","content":"The city of Marietta. Cobb County. Forsyth County. Chatham County. Columbia County."},{"_id":"WD6NVQF3ZFF5ZKNBNVPZUS5X5M","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726753919372},"type":"text","content":"Name a county in Georgia and there is a good chance that someone, most often guided by an advocacy group known as Moms for Liberty, is trying to restrict, remove or relocate from the shelves of school or public libraries a book they’ve deemed controversial."},{"_id":"AZLUFSRJMVAD3PRYQ6J3GNOKHM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726753919373},"type":"text","content":"More than 4,000 books were targeted for removal from schools and libraries in 2023, according to the American Library Association, an increase of 65% from the previous year."},{"_id":"NHF2APPHCFBXBLDN4DJMDDOCBU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726753919374},"type":"text","content":"Georgia residents have debated the tomfoolery of banning books, particularly when there are greater threats to children’s well-being."},{"_id":"DQGFPYD5LZHFPAYFW2UGHUMJRM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726753919375},"type":"text","content":"“How can you ban books but not guns?”"},{"_id":"LKK7WDGDV5G7VJR4JYXQJROJJI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726753919376},"type":"text","content":"“How can you ban books but not smartphones?”"},{"_id":"5EGGPEMDXJDTDMXEPCOIZZNTQE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726753919377},"type":"text","content":"Readers of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution have asked these questions, but I believe deep inside they already know the answer: none of this book-banning is really about protecting children."},{"_id":"3KEIFGZME5HHZIP6T4GTU62I4M","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726753919378},"type":"text","content":"As I wrote three years ago in this column, one study among the minimal research that has been done on banned books shows that reading banned books does not correlate to children committing crimes and does correlate to children being more interested in politics, elections and charitable causes."},{"_id":"BM4Z6QBACZA6FOI75XEL64B2NA","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"_id":"7NPPY255HZGQLNXQASV4Y4TVEY"},"type":"interstitial_link","content":"OPINION: Does reading banned books negatively impact young readers?","url":"https://www.ajc.com/life/opinion-does-reading-banned-books-negatively-impact-young-readers/GSTFO7YCN5DFHEGMHT6IFHQRW4/"},{"_id":"UTNOHYOXCVB3TJLOAP4V26UPHY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726753919379},"type":"text","content":"So the parents lobbying to ban books in their schools and communities are positioning their children to be less politically curious and less charitable toward others."},{"_id":"EVBDDSTHAJAXFJRVOKRHKRJBOA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726753919380},"type":"text","content":"Sadly, that tracks in this current political climate."},{"_id":"MD36NXACG5AZLPMBD6272FM6YM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726753919381},"type":"text","content":"We also can’t dismiss student performance on the most recent state assessment tests."},{"_id":"LI2MX2XTVNCCLKOUPI666PEWTE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726753919382},"type":"text","content":"Students in third grade, the grade at which reading proficiency is considered a milestone for future success, was the one grade that posted a decline in English Language Arts scores."},{"_id":"3OUUF23AKJGLLNE6PJO6OFVJAM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726753919383},"type":"text","content":"All grades tested, except fifth and sixth grades, saw declines in reading scores."},{"_id":"QQTLMWX5NNEVPBIOBC7T2JAKOI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726753919384},"type":"text","content":"Many book challenges focus on titles written for children and young adults who need reading material that captures their interests and attention. Reducing the range of reading material available to children and teens struggling to read seems to defy reason, but again … priorities."},{"_id":"OKEXMMITQJHB5BHYVVC6LUYGAY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726753919385},"type":"text","content":"You only need one look at the titles of 2023′s most challenged books to read between these lines."},{"_id":"76YT6XVMIFHFDB3P5JXJHN3VXI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726753919386},"type":"text","content":"“Gender Queer: A Memoir,” by Maia Kobabe was challenged 106 times."},{"_id":"X2DYBTONGNEATO3JW7CVF7M5OM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726753919387},"type":"text","content":"“All Boys aren’t Blue,” by George M. Johnson was challenged 82 times."},{"_id":"TBV3IPVMRNFR7GNK5AZ2SBJ5EY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726753919388},"type":"text","content":"“This Book is Gay,” by Juno Dawson, had 71 challenges."},{"_id":"QI36OMT2XBFAZOQOLUYOMIENQ4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726753919389},"type":"text","content":"And the list goes on."},{"_id":"WRFWN2DRCVFJBNT3DIKMJK75DI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726753919390},"type":"text","content":"This is just a snapshot of the books that have been challenged. Many challenged or banned books are not reported to the American Library Association, which compiles the annual list based on reports from librarians, community members and media coverage."},{"_id":"3TY3T5G2WRDZJJF6R7LHOCUI3I","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726753919391},"type":"text","content":"In Marietta, “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass,” was removed from the approved book list for eighth graders for alleged sexual content, said Superintendent Grant Rivera in a <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/things-to-do/bookshelf-lines-are-drawn-in-the-battle-over-book-bans/JI7LWMCQAFF5VIWZLQZCJCVJZI/\" target=\"_blank\">recent AJC story</a>."},{"_id":"OK5SLI5LURFP3DAXLTMHF54ZJU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726753919392},"type":"text","content":"I racked my brain to recall any sexual content in that book and all I could come up with was Douglass alluding to the rape of Black women by white slave owners."},{"_id":"NE7HMIKC4BDZ5GJS4AQRSIR3RI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726753919393},"type":"text","content":"That is not sexually explicit. That’s facts."},{"_id":"Y6J3KGMMBNBTHEJZ3JDAXUY2OY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726753919394},"type":"text","content":"Marietta schools also banned “Little Rock Girl 1957,” by Shelley Tougas; a book centered on the iconic photo of Elizabeth Eckford integrating Central High School as an angry white teen screams at her back; and “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,” by Rebecca Skloot which details the life of a Black woman whose cancer cells were taken without consent at Johns Hopkins Hospital in 1951 and are responsible for medical innovations, including cancer research, sequencing the human genome and polio and COVID-19 vaccines."},{"_id":"CWHR4OBPTNHJLC2RSDBSFNPSEU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726753919395},"type":"text","content":"Again, I’m sensing a theme here and it has nothing to do with sex."},{"_id":"NZVYKI6LTJDCDNMSZ633L5EAVA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726753919396},"type":"text","content":"The Columbia County Library Advisory Board has spent months changing policies and setting new guidelines for the placement of books in the library, said resident Andy Mueller."},{"_id":"QIB6HRRMRJAF7BLXTJIDO56LIQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726753919397},"type":"text","content":"According to the advisory board, appropriate content for ages 11-14 should include “violence level similar to a Star Wars movie” and “scare factor similar to a Harry Potter movie.”"},{"_id":"PJY4M7BBMZHSNIUEWM5YND2USA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726753919398},"type":"text","content":"Forget reading. Maybe the kids in Columbia County should just go to the movies."},{"_id":"NZVYKI6LTJDCDNMSZ633L5EAVA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726753919399},"type":"text","content":"“You are naive if you think kids are not cursing, talking about sex, or questioning who they are,” said Mueller. “These books are for them to go in there and experience that.”"},{"_id":"HTW3PKCZP5BTDCUBLBMXT5FLAQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726753919400},"type":"text","content":"Mueller, whose wife is a librarian, said recently, the entire “A” section of books is missing from the shelves of the county library. County staff are rating books according to the new guidelines, reviewing books that are not yet rated and developing a list to move any books they feel do not belong in juvenile or young adult sections."},{"_id":"HUIEMJKD3FHPJF6AITY7KPU5YM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726753919401},"type":"text","content":"That sounds like a lot of busy work for nothing."},{"_id":"XW5B54UMXZB35J22H47BEFWUV4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726753919402},"type":"text","content":"Some states are pushing back against book bans by restricting bans based on content or ideological objections. These laws also ensure that key decisions about books in public or school libraries are made by licensed, trained and degree-holding library professionals — not politicians, not people appointed by politicians and definitely not by parents."},{"_id":"4CEPMNHT3ZBBHOOFBCWCWE3EZM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726670287499},"type":"text","content":"<i>Read more on the Real Life blog (</i><a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/opinion/real-life-blog/\"><i>www.ajc.com/opinion/real-life-blog/</i></a><i>) and find Nedra on Facebook (</i><a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/AJCRealLifeColumn\"><i>www.facebook.com/AJCRealLifeColumn</i></a><i>) and X (</i><a href=\"https://twitter.com/nrhoneajc\"><i>@nrhoneajc</i></a><i>) or email her at </i><a href=\"mailto:Nedra.Rhone@ajc.com\"><i>nedra.rhone@ajc.com</i></a><i>.</i>"}],"display_date":"2024-09-20T09:00:00Z","credits":{"by":[{"image":{"version":"0.5.8","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/98f2f50c-d4da-49ae-9bde-27e4311ab5ad.png"},"socialLinks":[{"site":"email","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"nedra.rhone@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"https://twitter.com/nrhoneajc"}],"social_links":[{"site":"email","url":"nedra.rhone@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","url":"https://twitter.com/nrhoneajc"}],"name":"Nedra Rhone","description":"Nedra Rhone is a lifestyle columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution where she has been a reporter since 2006. A graduate of Columbia University School of Journalism, she enjoys writing about the people, places and events that define metro Atlanta.","_id":"nedra-rhone","additional_properties":{"original":{"lastName":"Rhone","image":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/98f2f50c-d4da-49ae-9bde-27e4311ab5ad.png","role":"Lifestyle Columnist","education":[{"name":"University of Pennsylvania, Bachelor's degree in Economics"},{"name":"Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism"}],"longBio":"Nedra Rhone is a lifestyle columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution where she has been a reporter since 2006. A graduate of Columbia University School of Journalism, she enjoys writing about the people, places and events that define metro Atlanta. She has written about style, entertainment, personal finance and the environment for the AJC. Previously, Rhone was a staff writer at Newsday where her first assignment was covering the devastating impact of 9/11 on the families and communities of Long Island. She later covered K-12 education for Long Island's 125 school districts and is a Pulitzer Prize finalist for her reporting on women in hip-hop. ","org":"ajc","affiliations":"The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","bio":"Nedra Rhone is a lifestyle columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution where she has been a reporter since 2006. A graduate of Columbia University School of Journalism, she enjoys writing about the people, places and events that define metro Atlanta.","expertise":"2,7,16","author_type":"Staff","firstName":"Nedra","twitter":"https://twitter.com/nrhoneajc","books":[],"podcasts":[],"awards":[],"custom_ajc_phone":"404-526-5465","custom_ajc_website":"ajc","_id":"nedra-rhone","last_updated_date":"2024-08-01T19:40:05.320Z","byline":"Nedra Rhone","email":"nedra.rhone@ajc.com","status":true}},"type":"author","version":"0.5.8"}]},"subtype":"Article","headlines":{"basic":"RHONE: Read between the lines of book bans"},"first_publish_date":"2024-09-20T09:00:02.545Z","taxonomy":{"primary_site":{"path":"/opinion/columnists","parent_id":"/opinion","name":"AJC Columnists","description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","_id":"/opinion/columnists","additional_properties":{"original":{"parent":{"AmpNav":"/opinion","default":"/opinion","MainMenu2024":"/opinion","BottomNav":null,"TopNavRedesign":null,"SectionMap":"/","MainMenuRedesign2021":null,"TopNav":null,"ComposerNav":"/opinion"},"site":{"section_comments_enabled":"Yes","site_description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","site_title":"AJC Columnists"},"navigation":{"nav_title":"AJC Columnists"},"inactive":false,"node_type":"section","name":"AJC Columnists","_id":"/opinion/columnists","ancestors":{"MainMenu2024":["/","/opinion"],"TopNavRedesign":[],"SectionMap":["/"],"MainMenuRedesign2021":[],"TopNav":[],"ComposerNav":["/opinion"]},"order":{"MainMenu2024":2002,"SectionMap":1068,"ComposerNav":2003}}},"type":"site","version":"0.5.8"},"sections":[{"path":"/opinion/columnists","parent":{"default":"/opinion"},"_website":"ajc","parent_id":"/opinion","name":"AJC Columnists","description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","_id":"/opinion/columnists","additional_properties":{"original":{"parent":{"AmpNav":"/opinion","default":"/opinion","MainMenu2024":"/opinion","BottomNav":null,"TopNavRedesign":null,"SectionMap":"/","MainMenuRedesign2021":null,"TopNav":null,"ComposerNav":"/opinion"},"site":{"section_comments_enabled":"Yes","site_description":"Articles by columnists from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","site_title":"AJC Columnists"},"navigation":{"nav_title":"AJC Columnists"},"inactive":false,"node_type":"section","_website":"ajc","name":"AJC Columnists","_id":"/opinion/columnists","ancestors":{"MainMenu2024":["/","/opinion"],"TopNavRedesign":[],"SectionMap":["/"],"MainMenuRedesign2021":[],"TopNav":[],"ComposerNav":["/opinion"]},"order":{"MainMenu2024":2002,"SectionMap":1068,"ComposerNav":2003}}},"_website_section_id":"ajc./opinion/columnists","type":"section","version":"0.6.0"},{"path":"/opinion","parent":{"default":"/"},"_website":"ajc","parent_id":"/","name":"Opinion","description":"Opinion articles from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","_id":"/opinion","additional_properties":{"original":{"sponsor":{"sponsor_url_open_new_tab":"false","sponsor_desktop_banner":"","sponsor_mobile_banner":"","sponsor_url":""},"parent":{"AmpNav":"/","subnav_opinion":null,"TopicsBar2023":"/","BottomNav":null,"TopNavRedesign":null,"SectionMap":"/","TopNav":null,"TopicsBar":null,"ComposerNav":"/","subnav_homepage":null,"default":"/","MainMenu2024":"/","MainMenuRedesign2021":null},"site":{"site_url":"/opinion/","section_comments_enabled":"Yes","site_description":"Opinion articles from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","site_title":"Opinion"},"navigation":{"nav_title":"Opinion"},"inactive":false,"node_type":"section","_website":"ajc","name":"Opinion","_id":"/opinion","ancestors":{"subnav_opinion":[],"TopicsBar2023":["/"],"MainMenu2024":["/"],"TopNavRedesign":[],"SectionMap":["/"],"MainMenuRedesign2021":[],"TopNav":[],"TopicsBar":[],"ComposerNav":["/"],"subnav_homepage":[]},"order":{"AmpNav":1033,"TopicsBar2023":1008,"default":1083,"MainMenu2024":1008,"SectionMap":1086,"ComposerNav":1011}}},"_website_section_id":"ajc./opinion","type":"section","version":"0.6.0"}],"primary_section":{"path":"/opinion/columnists","name":"AJC Columnists"},"tags":[{"text":"lifestyle"},{"text":"atlanta-news-metro.ajc"},{"text":"real life blog"},{"text":"teamdan"},{"text":"UATL"},{"text":"opinion"}]},"label":{"tease_label":{"display":true,"text":"Opinion"},"custom_label":{"display":true,"text":"Real Life with Nedra Rhone"}},"type":"story","last_updated_date":"2024-09-22T15:38:16.81Z","promo_items":{"basic":{"credits":{"affiliation":[],"by":[{"name":"AJC ","type":"author","byline":"AJC "}]},"subtitle":"Cobb bans 13 more books from school libraries","width":1500,"caption":"Cobb County Superintendent Chris Ragsdale announced the removal of 13 more books from school libraries, just two weeks into the new academic year. Many of the books were among the most challenged books of 2023.","type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"8aec2b8c-455c-4816-903d-79fc8fdf8019"},"url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/32TNLO2TZNDUHF7Y4AVWTTNH4E.jpg","height":1000}},"canonical_url":"/opinion/columnists/opinion-read-between-the-lines-of-book-bans/VGEMMVOIHJENPD32SPQL7VQDNE/","_id":"VGEMMVOIHJENPD32SPQL7VQDNE"},{"content_elements":[{"_id":"RTQH5MX5D5BYVGV6VFZKIH7DRI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726539171547},"type":"text","content":"She was the oldest of three sisters who had all been in the foster care system since 2019."},{"_id":"HIAAPRWIIZBVJMG534NMFGP3NU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726593506353},"type":"text","content":"The struggling teen had been involuntarily committed several times after posing a threat to herself. And it seemed like she would continue on that trajectory upon her arrival at Murphy-Harpst Children’s Center in Cedartown."},{"_id":"LPOW3XQ4LVG2TFTV6SNOZ4VR3U","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726593506354},"type":"text","content":"But after returning to the residential facility from the hospital, something in her shifted. She set a goal: no more hospital visits for at least one year. The young woman celebrated her accomplishment the following spring with a skating party and meal with fellow residents and staff."},{"_id":"JLCOCMLOK5F6TOQZUN6LODET7M","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726593506355},"type":"text","content":"This story, published online by Murphy-Harpst Children’s Center using the pseudonym “Erin” for the young woman, is a reminder that success is all about the small moments that lead to major milestones."},{"_id":"EPEBMJPQ5JGEPCLRGKY52XGTGI","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"_id":"4PVMQ7CR6JEB5JUSGXAQPROUYU"},"type":"interstitial_link","content":"Murphy-Harpst Children’s Centers: Two women’s legacies live on","url":"https://www.ajc.com/lifestyles/murphy-harpst-children-centers-two-women-legacies-live/fVPkhBeFUJk2LEF1Hqgu4M/"},{"_id":"XWOMP2K3MBEVHJQQP36UI2I57U","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726593506356},"type":"text","content":"For 100 years, Murphy-Harpst has served neglected children in North Georgia. And each of those years is built on stories like Erin’s, which are intertwined with the history of the two women founders, Ethel Harpst and Sarah Murphy, who devoted their lives to caring for abandoned children."},{"_id":"ATQ5XNGAMBDY7CFHGMSA52ZB7M","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726573514017},"type":"text","content":"Murphy-Harpst strives to be an escape from the social ills that leave about 1,100 children each year in state custody across Georgia’s 159 counties. For some children, this is the place where they may see their first sunset, have a birthday party for the first time or celebrate Christmas with gifts."},{"_id":"R25UL3FLFJHBHDKDQAGPD7DKAA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726539171552},"type":"text","content":"“To see them experience those types of things that we see as normal is very fulfilling,” President and CEO Scott Merritt said. “When they are able to go to college, reunite with their families or get adopted, it is energizing.”"},{"owner":{"sponsored":false,"id":"ajc"},"address":{},"syndication":{},"auth":{"1":"dd8b9d823b593bb61de2a48a97b2683a1a5cbc269e52f79dd76036014419e837"},"caption":"Murphy-Harpst Children's Center in Cedartown celebrates 100 years on Sept. 19, 2024. 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Martin is the author of “The Sun Won’t Come out Tomorrow: The Dark History of American Orphanhood,” to be released in January."},{"_id":"FE3UPGRNXVEM3AHZ7V3FCTNNG4","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726581972100},"type":"text","content":"To survive for 100 years, Murphy-Harpst has had to evolve to meet the changing needs of children and a changing child welfare system, but the foundation set by the two founders has remained at the heart of all they do."},{"_id":"OIIOKIKKV5DAFDGCCP5NY4T4MY","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"_id":"QGZTJP63TVDORMLBJHQDAFQ5KU"},"type":"interstitial_link","content":"OPINION: Georgia needs a new Medicaid provider for foster children","url":"https://www.ajc.com/opinion/georgia-needs-a-new-medicaid-provider-for-foster-children/XZOU7HWCFFCOBPRHS7SAEARMZA/"},{"_id":"HPDZGBLLXZHSFF7IYMNKXMZRLU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726539171554},"type":"text","content":"Harpst, an educator from the Georgia-Alabama foothills, began taking in motherless children 10 years after she arrived in Cedartown to run a public school and church mission."},{"_id":"WD7EOXAOAJH2HB3SKK7FWWUBEU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726573514022},"type":"text","content":"In 1924, a friend gifted her a seven-room home on two acres of land to house 21 children under her care. Over the next few decades, generous benefactors funded additional buildings for the Ethel Harpst Home, which operated under the Women’s Division of the Methodist Church. Harpst retired in 1951 and died in 1968 after a long illness."},{"_id":"T4AGVT5WLFEDDGIZZ3VMFET65A","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726539171555},"type":"text","content":"Just 13 miles to the east, Sarah Murphy was on a similar journey."},{"_id":"X3TGHPKJIFGLVHBOHQMGS7HBGQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726590508264},"type":"text","content":"The Rockmart native and her husband saved enough money to buy a five-room house on an acre of hilly land where they built a K-12 school. Murphy was a teacher until her daughter died tragically in 1934. Filled with grief, Murphy — who by then had taken in 18 orphaned children — established the Sarah Divinia Murphy Home, the only orphanage in Georgia serving Black children. Sarah died in 1954 before a new building, rebuilt after a fire, could be occupied."},{"_id":"POK7GKRRJRFHJOJKPPWU7425MA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726539171556},"type":"text","content":"In 1961, the Women’s Division of the Methodist Church took over the property, and after some deliberation board members decided to merge the two programs in 1984, establishing the Murphy-Harpst Children’s Center."},{"_id":"3CY4Y26A6RBI3OCSDBOSWKJA7U","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"_id":"DS3LC57ERJFNFEMBETKUEM52KA"},"type":"raw_html","content":"<iframe title=\"Celebrating a century of service\" aria-label=\"Locator map\" id=\"datawrapper-chart-xVarm\" src=\"https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/xVarm/1/\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;\" height=\"610\" data-external=\"1\"></iframe><script type=\"text/javascript\">!function(){\"use strict\";window.addEventListener(\"message\",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[\"datawrapper-height\"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll(\"iframe\");for(var t in a.data[\"datawrapper-height\"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data[\"datawrapper-height\"][t]+\"px\";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();\r\n<\/script>"},{"_id":"NCIJ5ITXL5DALA5MAFBP5OUT4U","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726539171557},"type":"text","content":"Incorporating the mottos of the two founders — “I’ll do the best I can,” from Harpst and “We’ll make room,” from Murphy — staff at the newly formed facility took on the mission of two women who had never met in life but whose legacies were interwoven."},{"_id":"CHIDDIF6DBAPZMUCKRQIV77MHU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726585600672},"type":"text","content":"In 1987, Murphy-Harpst was certified as a residential treatment provider. In 2003, Murphy-Harpst established specialized foster care. A transitional living program was added in 2016 and a GED program in 2018."},{"owner":{"sponsored":false,"id":"ajc"},"address":{},"syndication":{},"auth":{"1":"3ae3a3f46101b56670a7a87924110b44f8f23004438857fd3c557feb69cafc3d"},"caption":"Murphy-Harpst Children's Center in Cedartown celebrates 100 years on Sept. 19, 2024. 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On the 160-acre campus, residents receive services including equine and recreation therapy, spiritual development and an education at York Academy."},{"_id":"LF43JZVXAFGOVP5DVKGP7ZKMJQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726585600675},"type":"text","content":"They also find understanding and assurance that their past isn’t their fault."},{"_id":"6E4WT2MVXRCUBGWBYS32AYUBNM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726539171561},"type":"text","content":"“So many kids come in very angry because of what has happened to them,” said Merritt. “They are resilient but need adult care and leadership, and that is one of the things we provide at Murphy-Harpst — an environment where they can deal with the trauma.”"},{"_id":"VE7QRBN3QNGKRDB7ZDAJ34S4C4","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"_id":"JRN6POHFSZDIRG6PQRAHRQMF5U"},"type":"interstitial_link","content":"Donation cap lifted on Georgia foster care tax credit program","url":"https://www.ajc.com/news/donation-cap-lifted-on-ga-foster-care-tax-credit-program/JIVLXHETRRBWFHRLQI2NOUA24E/"},{"_id":"EB2XOFGYL5BXJJJFJSV4KRKK4M","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[]},"type":"text","content":"Last year, Murphy-Harpst began partnering with local communities and government agencies to open group homes across the state where four to five children live with trained foster parents who rotate every two weeks for a period of nine to 12 months. Plans are also underway to develop a program for children with autism, Merritt said."},{"_id":"NEF424FC3ND6PLN36BP5SST3WI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726573514034},"type":"text","content":"These innovations will help Murphy-Harpst continue serving Georgia children for years to come, and the stories of each child that comes through their doors will continue to build on that success."},{"_id":"YQ537VLTEBGWTFWVQ5YOTZ4Z7U","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726539171566},"type":"text","content":"“We are not perfect,” Merritt said. “We make mistakes, but we are doing the best we can for the kids.”"},{"_id":"NFOZKFDPYNC5BEVSLIR5IPWH74","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726539171568},"type":"text","content":"As the mottos of Murphy and Harpst suggest, success isn’t only found in a happy ending but also in the willingness to try to make things better."},{"_id":"4CEPMNHT3ZBBHOOFBCWCWE3EZM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726535778984},"type":"text","content":"<i>Read more on the Real Life blog (</i><a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/opinion/real-life-blog/\"><i>www.ajc.com/opinion/real-life-blog/</i></a><i>) and find Nedra on Facebook (</i><a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/AJCRealLifeColumn\"><i>www.facebook.com/AJCRealLifeColumn</i></a><i>) and X (</i><a href=\"https://twitter.com/nrhoneajc\"><i>@nrhoneajc</i></a><i>) or email her at </i><a href=\"mailto:Nedra.Rhone@ajc.com\"><i>nedra.rhone@ajc.com</i></a><i>.</i>"}],"display_date":"2024-09-18T09:00:00Z","credits":{"by":[{"image":{"version":"0.5.8","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/98f2f50c-d4da-49ae-9bde-27e4311ab5ad.png"},"socialLinks":[{"site":"email","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"nedra.rhone@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"https://twitter.com/nrhoneajc"}],"social_links":[{"site":"email","url":"nedra.rhone@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","url":"https://twitter.com/nrhoneajc"}],"name":"Nedra Rhone","description":"Nedra Rhone is a lifestyle columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution where she has been a reporter since 2006. A graduate of Columbia University School of Journalism, she enjoys writing about the people, places and events that define metro Atlanta.","_id":"nedra-rhone","additional_properties":{"original":{"lastName":"Rhone","image":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/98f2f50c-d4da-49ae-9bde-27e4311ab5ad.png","role":"Lifestyle Columnist","education":[{"name":"University of Pennsylvania, Bachelor's degree in Economics"},{"name":"Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism"}],"longBio":"Nedra Rhone is a lifestyle columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution where she has been a reporter since 2006. A graduate of Columbia University School of Journalism, she enjoys writing about the people, places and events that define metro Atlanta. She has written about style, entertainment, personal finance and the environment for the AJC. Previously, Rhone was a staff writer at Newsday where her first assignment was covering the devastating impact of 9/11 on the families and communities of Long Island. She later covered K-12 education for Long Island's 125 school districts and is a Pulitzer Prize finalist for her reporting on women in hip-hop. ","org":"ajc","affiliations":"The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","bio":"Nedra Rhone is a lifestyle columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution where she has been a reporter since 2006. 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Image credit: Murphy-Harpst Children's Center","type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"8aec2b8c-455c-4816-903d-79fc8fdf8019"},"url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/O4LF2PTJBZD73NGMSEMMIFDUD4.jpg","height":682}},"canonical_url":"/opinion/columnists/opinion-murphy-harpst-100-year-milestone-built-one-child-at-a-time/ZOZK5KRNKJCCBKZVUYPCJSO3O4/","_id":"ZOZK5KRNKJCCBKZVUYPCJSO3O4"},{"content_elements":[{"_id":"5NA3HB7JKVH3PJJ4KGKGAVGDNQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726072782285},"type":"text","content":"Much of Tuesday’s presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump proved to be well-trodden ground. The sound bites and talking points, at times rambling and incoherent (Trump) or rational yet repetitive (Harris), were largely what we have heard before."},{"_id":"VBL7EEIX3VGUJNBQBUFPVOY2EE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726072782286},"type":"text","content":"But when David Muir, one of the two ABC News anchors moderating the debate, asked Trump about his comments related to Harris’ racial identity, it felt somewhat illuminating."},{"_id":"TL6EPC5IIRHR5HNIBTFRM7PVME","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726072782287},"type":"text","content":"Citing Trump’s quote from July, “I didn’t know she was Black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn Black and now she wants to be known as Black,” Muir asked the former president why he believed it was appropriate to weigh in on the racial identity of his opponent."},{"_id":"Z356U6LQMJD3TMAJVBOYSDJMYY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726072782288},"type":"text","content":"“I don’t and I don’t care. I don’t care what she is. I don’t care,” Trump said."},{"_id":"WKSKVTRQQRDJPCT6G3VLEY547E","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726076141643},"type":"text","content":"He suggested that Muir or some Americans were making a big deal out of something that he “couldn’t care less” about. With that response, Trump both condemned his own actions and diminished the importance of his words."},{"_id":"2BQ3D44GHZATVMLIUSXQFYFK4Y","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726072782290},"type":"text","content":"It reminded me of childhood arguments when a bully’s verbal put-downs backfire and the only clapback he or she can come up with is: “I don’t care.”"},{"_id":"UANVOOMO4VAYHJZX5HTGXS5LRM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726076141647},"type":"text","content":"But Trump does care about race, at least when it creates a perceived advantage for him."},{"_id":"DVDNP2TEZBDMBISMPRFRWCQQII","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726077455885},"type":"text","content":"If he didn’t care, he wouldn’t have issued an executive order in 2020 that banned federal entities and contractors from providing employee training on so-called divisive concepts and harmful ideologies related to race and gender."},{"_id":"FTXAJ7CRRJC7DHYF2SVLM6TSMU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726076141649},"type":"text","content":"As Harris stated in her response, Trump’s focus on race has been a fixture of his career."},{"_id":"ILJKPA75GFHVLIJ3HMEJXYNK5M","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726072782294},"type":"text","content":"It was there in the late 1960s when Trump began working for his father’s real estate company, which would later be investigated for racial bias by the U.S. Department of Justice."},{"_id":"KCQIBSZD4JAXBD4BNLTLXR3DAU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726072782295},"type":"text","content":"It was there in 1989, when Trump took out advertisements in four New York City newspapers calling for the execution the Central Park 5, the group of Black and Latino boys who were wrongfully accused of rape."},{"_id":"OYOCERZDWFBFVM5VGHPIBAS6GM","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726072782296},"type":"text","content":"It was there in the years 2011 through 2014 when Trump continued to falsely insist that President Barack Obama was not a U.S. citizen."},{"_id":"BFFUTWXBRBBZJPJ3KK4ZU7AZNU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726072782297},"type":"text","content":"Harris outlined a timeline in which Trump has drawn on race and racial stereotypes to influence and manipulate the American people."},{"_id":"24HEGSOIUNBQ3IQDLCHOOQZ6XE","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726072782298},"type":"text","content":"If that’s not enough, <a href=\"https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/every-moment-donald-trumps-long-complicated-history-race\" target=\"_blank\">PBS painstakingly documented </a>what Trump has said about race from 1973 through 2020. Sometimes his record is conflicting, but any contradictions that might seem to reflect evolved thinking about race generally resulted in some type of personal gain."},{"_id":"KA6NVICR4FDORBM77UN5BYXPPA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726072782299},"type":"text","content":"It’s easy to get caught up in the minutiae of race and politics — these are ties that run deep in America. But what Trump showed in Tuesday’s debate is the bigger picture: a persistent and deeply entrenched view of race in this country that is stuck on stupid."},{"_id":"P4723NVM5ZD2FHUQZLKEMULYQU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726076141656},"type":"text","content":"We need to talk about race but we need to talk about it in ways that are productive toward bringing much needed change: addressing systemic racism, the legacy of slavery, racial and gender discrimination, economic and racial segregation."},{"_id":"2NVG32LPNFGAPF7GWNDPK3GYSY","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726076141657},"type":"text","content":"That’s not the same as promoting racial stereotypes or questioning someone’s biracial identity."},{"_id":"EZD6JYST3FGHXNW4FY2UKD5Q34","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726072782300},"type":"text","content":"It is a long-standing tradition in American politics to demonize one group of people in order to retain power. It is a standard play in the political playbook to appeal to the “common man” while offering up marginalized people — in this case, immigrants, people of color, people with disabilities and women — for ridicule or branding as the evil element destroying the country."},{"_id":"P4723NVM5ZD2FHUQZLKEMULYQU","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726076141659},"type":"text","content":"Trump’s rebuttal, that Harris had to reach “many, many years” into history to find evidence of his racial recklessness, only served to underscore Harris’ point that it has been there all along."},{"_id":"OGRNX5SLQJDXVIVZTGIXURPUPA","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726072782302},"type":"text","content":"Trump claimed there is nothing to see there now, but in the span of the two-hour debate he repeated baseless claims that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio are eating cats and dogs, “the pets of the people that live there,” he said."},{"_id":"FQGVC7E4JJC5NMHSFPJZCD6SFI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726072782303},"type":"text","content":"Muir quickly debunked this lie but once again Trump had tossed out a comment that marked Black and brown people as savage and inhuman."},{"_id":"J2JUN6QIJJDJZECGKBYIMKDQ3Q","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726072782304},"type":"text","content":"Trump says he doesn’t care about race, but it would seem he cares very much."},{"_id":"DSB6MM3HG5E5BGNSIQE5TBXAPI","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726076141663},"type":"text","content":"If he didn’t, he wouldn’t keep talking about it in all the wrong ways."},{"_id":"FIEFQGFWMNGLZNTHHQAUBFIOZQ","additional_properties":{"inline_comments":[],"comments":[],"_id":1726076141664},"type":"text","content":"<i>Read more on the Real Life blog (</i><a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/opinion/real-life-blog/\"><i>www.ajc.com/opinion/real-life-blog/</i></a><i>) and find Nedra on Facebook (</i><a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/AJCRealLifeColumn\"><i>www.facebook.com/AJCRealLifeColumn</i></a><i>) and X (</i><a href=\"https://twitter.com/nrhoneajc\"><i>@nrhoneajc</i></a><i>) or email her at </i><a href=\"mailto:Nedra.Rhone@ajc.com\"><i>nedra.rhone@ajc.com</i></a><i>.</i>"}],"display_date":"2024-09-11T18:13:43.573Z","credits":{"by":[{"image":{"version":"0.5.8","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/98f2f50c-d4da-49ae-9bde-27e4311ab5ad.png"},"socialLinks":[{"site":"email","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"nedra.rhone@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"https://twitter.com/nrhoneajc"}],"social_links":[{"site":"email","url":"nedra.rhone@ajc.com"},{"site":"twitter","url":"https://twitter.com/nrhoneajc"}],"name":"Nedra Rhone","description":"Nedra Rhone is a lifestyle columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution where she has been a reporter since 2006. 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Previously, Rhone was a staff writer at Newsday where her first assignment was covering the devastating impact of 9/11 on the families and communities of Long Island. She later covered K-12 education for Long Island's 125 school districts and is a Pulitzer Prize finalist for her reporting on women in hip-hop. ","org":"ajc","affiliations":"The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","bio":"Nedra Rhone is a lifestyle columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution where she has been a reporter since 2006. 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Brian Kemp asked Congress on Tuesday for nearly $12.2 billion in relief to address the damage caused by Hurricane Helene.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7KNIKMBGZ5CIXBPZADAM2HO7V4","additional_properties":{"_id":1732059191478,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"The storm devastated much of Georgia in late September, and 96 of the state’s 159 counties remain under a major disaster declaration.","type":"text"},{"_id":"6MDKYPNUBRCKFPNXCQRW6THQ4A","additional_properties":{"_id":1732059191479,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"In a letter to appropriations leaders in the U.S. House and Senate, Kemp provided preliminary damage estimates that he stressed are likely to grow. The request includes nearly $6.5 billion to help farmers and agricultural producers, $2.5 billion for housing recovery, $611 million for lost timber and $507 million for crisis counseling services.","type":"text"},{"_id":"26SEKQW73ZD4HKIYPSEV7FFHMU","additional_properties":{"_id":1732059191480,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"“Hurricane Helene wrought unparalleled damage across our state, leaving thousands of families displaced, businesses shuttered and our farmers facing catastrophic losses,” Kemp wrote in his letter to Congress.","type":"text"},{"_id":"E5O4WGAN5ZEK5I2NEB4YX3GM4Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1732059191481,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"The governor’s letter provides the most detailed accounting yet of the damage caused by Hurricane Helene. According to Kemp, 34 Georgians died — including six children — making Helene the deadliest hurricane to hit the state since 1893.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OPS7AZUSQZD43EL4FWQB3PTLC4","additional_properties":{"_id":"TUXVUJWLLRB3PH4S5NTISEMNSI","comments":[]},"content":"Out-of-sight and struggling: Georgia farmworkers still reeling from Helene","type":"interstitial_link","url":"https://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-news/out-of-sight-and-struggling-georgia-farmworkers-still-reeling-from-helene/DUGLHSCBFFA4TEAQJIPFG6YCE4/"},{"_id":"QFMOBY2WTZFEXAKGURSJO4TBDY","additional_properties":{"_id":1732059191482,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"The storm also damaged 212,747 Georgia homes and devastated agricultural and forestry businesses. Kemp and legislative leaders recently directed <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/news/business/georgia-to-provide-100-million-in-disaster-relief-for-farmers-foresters/TZWKOOKUMZB3RBOBD2KQ6RCNAE/\">$100 million in state funding</a> to provide immediate relief for farmers and timber producers. But in his letter, Kemp said that’s not nearly enough.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QZJZQE5X4RBK5HQXV7FXNE7XYA","additional_properties":{"_id":1732059191483,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"“Georgia’s agricultural sector, a cornerstone of our economy and cultural identity, was hit particularly hard,” the governor wrote. “Specialty crops, livestock operations, and small farms have suffered widespread devastation, many without sufficient insurance coverage to recover independently.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"XYUXFXPIRFAK5JSSORPUFDY5OU","additional_properties":{"_id":1732059191484,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"Kemp’s request includes everything from nursing support ($502 million) to clean drinking water ($150 million) to emergency hospital support (up to $50 million).","type":"text"},{"_id":"X66I6MORKBBU7CQZQCKMQDRJYQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1732059191485,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"Federal aid could be a <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/georgia-leaders-prepare-for-lengthy-battle-for-federal-aid-after-helene/CBTNUYPPO5DTTAKH4Z4QAMX4G4/\">long time coming</a>. After 2018′s Hurricane Michael, aid to some farmers didn’t arrive until 2020.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7MXLBL42QVH3PGVA2C5BQMZTUU","additional_properties":{"_id":"LNINRW75IJFNVA7IHKMJEMXD4A","comments":[]},"content":"Weeks after Helene, Georgia towns still digging out of destruction","type":"interstitial_link","url":"https://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-news/across-many-georgia-towns-homes-remain-unlivable-after-historic-storm/4K7DMCSAZBC4ZAKRXEQKDOXHIY/"},{"_id":"QAU7R3HK75EH3L5HZPBNICBRNE","additional_properties":{"_id":1732059191486,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"This week President Joe Biden asked Congress to provide <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/biden-seeks-nearly-100-billion-in-emergency-disaster-aid-after-hurricanes-helene-and-milton/JOKT2KHHUNDHXHAV7ZQGXL75R4/\">nearly $100 billion</a> in relief for hurricanes Helene and Milton.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YWNQ5PB76NGPBMHQXGJFFKC724","additional_properties":{"_id":1732059191487,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"On Wednesday U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff urged the Senate Appropriations Committee to swiftly approve a disaster relief bill that includes assistance for farmers.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7FVGUPX6GJF2XAFGJILLT6S6CI","additional_properties":{"_id":1732135942640,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"“Georgia farmers, and farmers in neighboring states, are suffering deeply, and Congress must proceed urgently to pass disaster relief by the end of the year,” Ossoff said.","type":"text"}],"first_publish_date":"2024-11-19T23:50:55.204Z","last_updated_date":"2024-11-20T20:53:09.348Z","canonical_url":"/politics/georgias-governor-requests-122-billion-in-federal-aid-for-hurricane-helene/6BEFIPWPTVH63MYWZXKLKXSFJY/","canonical_website":"ajc","credits":{"by":[{"_id":"david-wickert","type":"author","version":"0.5.8","name":"David Wickert","image":{"url":"https://author-service-images-prod-us-east-1.publishing.aws.arc.pub/ajc/86822855-3666-4f7d-8eac-7db534540ea3.png","version":"0.5.8"},"description":"David Wickert writes about the state budget, finance and voting issues. 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It reflects a disgruntled population in which many people are unhappy with their lives and blame their situation on “the system,” i.e., the government.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PCA7224FYNAUFDE75K4NU5ZAJ4","additional_properties":{"_id":1731886618878,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"By promising simple solutions to their complaints, President-elect Donald Trump built a coalition of groups motivated by such factors as racism, the Democrats’ foreign policy, the cost of living (which is largely beyond the control of the administration in office), etc.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YT2YMAZQKRADFMQSHW6GPVLD5M","additional_properties":{"_id":1731886618879,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[{"comment":" ","pos":192}]},"content":"Both parties pander to the fringes of the political spectrum. Most voters are in the middle of the political spectrum and want evolutionary, not revolutionary, change through bipartisan commonsense solutions to the United States’ major problems. They also want to stop politicians (who benefit from the current system) from being able to make a career in politics.","type":"text"},{"_id":"NVR74HCIMZCM5G76DATKWJVSWU","additional_properties":{"_id":1731886618880,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"<b>RON KURTZ</b>, ALPHARETTA","type":"text"}],"first_publish_date":"2024-11-19T11:00:05.074Z","last_updated_date":"2024-11-19T11:00:05.074Z","canonical_url":"/opinion/readers-write/G5NECNCFXZGALKOBWHGLR7ZJWQ/","canonical_website":"ajc","credits":{"by":[]},"description":{"basic":""},"display_date":"2024-11-19T11:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Readers 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write"}]},"type":"story","_id":"G5NECNCFXZGALKOBWHGLR7ZJWQ","order":1,"teaseImageObject":{"_id":"ET32KJ4TDGWV6ET2AVOOMJJIDQ","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/Ox4ObnRqOpWyYCNHSZThubhkEv8=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/ET32KJ4TDGWV6ET2AVOOMJJIDQ.jpg","galleries":[],"mime_type":"image/jpeg","originalName":"https://www.ajc.com//rw/Pub/p11/AJC/2020/07/09/Images/newsEngin.25893013_letters-iconic-art.jpg","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/ET32KJ4TDGWV6ET2AVOOMJJIDQ.jpg","proxyUrl":"/resizer/Ox4ObnRqOpWyYCNHSZThubhkEv8=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/ET32KJ4TDGWV6ET2AVOOMJJIDQ.jpg","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/Ox4ObnRqOpWyYCNHSZThubhkEv8=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/ET32KJ4TDGWV6ET2AVOOMJJIDQ.jpg","restricted":false,"takenOn":"2020-07-09T03:00:00Z","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/f1gMydWcslDToh7MKOKQfQ7840o=/300x0/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/ET32KJ4TDGWV6ET2AVOOMJJIDQ.jpg","version":0,"publicationStartDate":"2020-07-09T03:00:00Z"},"auth":{"1":"0490fd3ff31a85b8113d580adfdd3b14ab8f9cb5261cff26f205f6897078116f"},"caption":"PHIL 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WRITE","type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/ET32KJ4TDGWV6ET2AVOOMJJIDQ.jpg","version":"0.10.9","width":4180,"display_date":"2020-07-09T03:00:00Z","workflow":{"status_code":4},"first_publish_date":"2020-07-09T03:00:00Z","publish_date":"2020-07-09T03:00:00Z","resized_obj":{"src":"https://www.ajc.com/resizer/v2/ET32KJ4TDGWV6ET2AVOOMJJIDQ.jpg?auth=0490fd3ff31a85b8113d580adfdd3b14ab8f9cb5261cff26f205f6897078116f&width=220&height=220&smart=true"}}},{"content_elements":[{"_id":"YJ7XINIWIBHH7N6ZMAINGROJXI","additional_properties":{"_id":1732138527273,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"President-elect Donald Trump’s victory in Georgia played out as a political battle in each of Georgia’s 159 counties, with Trump winning all but 27 of them.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SDEKQ3PYGBCDRMGGCDQ6UUX5GE","additional_properties":{"_id":1732138527275,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"Not only did he win the majority of the statewide vote, in part by making gains in the populous metro Atlanta counties and flipping swing counties, he also succeeded in turning Republican-leaning areas a darker shade of red. Vice President Kamala Harris achieved similar gains in Democratic counties, but she did so in fewer counties and at a lower rate.","type":"text"},{"_id":"LQM373Y75ZHUPIRWZMXGSNAYDQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1732201682289,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"The Atlanta Journal-Constitution did a deep dive into <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/election/how-georgia-counties-voted-for-president-in-2024-compared-to-previous-elections/YE7YKDKXGZAKLPEKMQKVJOWKL4/\" target=\"_blank\">county-level results</a> going back through the past five presidential elections to track how we got here. Here’s what we found.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RWWVM6RLJFFZJFPN5GEOIVKGI4","additional_properties":{"_id":1732138527276,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"<b>Counties that got redder</b>","type":"text"},{"_id":"RBJI7HIHTVFLVBM43VJ4K5HW7A","additional_properties":{"_id":1732138527277,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"Among 129 counties that were already leaning Republican in 2020, 117 moved farther toward the GOP this year — a nearly 2 percentage-point increase on average. But over the last five presidential elections, those 117 counties have shifted almost 7 percentage points to the right, on average.","type":"text"},{"_id":"XINCECLKEVFMZOQLRKDESO3BZU","additional_properties":{"_id":1732138527278,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"During former President Barack Obama’s first run in 2008, Chattooga County — above Rome in the northwest corner of the state — went for his opponent, the late Republican<b> </b>Sen. John McCain, with 67% of the vote. In this most recent election, the county voted for Trump with 82% of the vote, giving it<b> </b>the largest Republican increase over the 16-year time period in the state.","type":"text"},{"_id":"K54UHHC6EJBABCL5TT7DS5YTIM","additional_properties":{"_id":1732229959621,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"In eight counties, Trump gained between 12 to 15 percentage points over McCain’s performance. What do those counties have in common? Each one increased its white voter population, and all but one saw its Black voter population decline.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TI66E62F4FAT7NLVD2IVSVMV2A","additional_properties":{"_id":"EVU44GT6GBBDBB6G7AQUBQIULA","comments":[]},"content":"Certified: Georgia election chief and governor finalize Trump’s win and statewide results","type":"interstitial_link","url":"https://www.ajc.com/politics/trumps-2024-win-in-georgia-certified-by-secretary-of-state-brad-raffensperger/Q2DURKBX2FHKFGI3QUE34KVG5Y/"},{"_id":"OBTAQL7JTFGOPNHDBFB2Y6L5DE","additional_properties":{"_id":1732229959622,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"The growth of the Republican vote in rural Georgia is most often seen alongside a decrease in minority voting strength, and not just in counties that went to Trump. For example, even though Hancock County voted for Harris by almost 68%, that’s down from 2008 when the county supported Obama by about 81%. Over that same period, the Black population has dropped by 20% and the white population has grown by 53%.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TRPGKVYPJVASDKPUDJ6AZOOXCY","additional_properties":{"_id":1732252427874,"comments":[{"date":"2024-11-22T22:34:44.117Z","email":"Amanda.DeArmon@ajc.com","end":355,"start":353,"text":"added comma here","user":"Amanda DeArmon"}],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"While these counties have shifted their Republican voting share the most since 2008, more populous counties are responsible for the largest increases in the raw number of Republican votes. The state’s big, urban counties typically support Democratic candidates, but because of their size and population growth, they account for a lot of Republican voters, too.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3FO4PO3LFJHFPO3ZZBNMOT2Z3Y","additional_properties":{"_id":1732311296974,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"The county which has had the greatest increase in Republican voters since 2008 is Cherokee County with almost 42,000 more voters. While Cherokee continues to be a Republican county, its share of Democratic votes has grown from 24% in 2008 to 30% in 2024.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GSGKXEOOJJDCBGRLEVL7GRJDY4","additional_properties":{"_id":"EVXNI337GNEPTP2XIEG5473SBY","comments":[]},"content":"<iframe title=\"The eight counties that had the greatest increases in Republican vote share since 2008\" aria-label=\"Map\" id=\"datawrapper-chart-MoR0f\" src=\"https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/MoR0f/1/\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;\" height=\"845\" data-external=\"1\"></iframe><script type=\"text/javascript\">!function(){\"use strict\";window.addEventListener(\"message\",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[\"datawrapper-height\"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll(\"iframe\");for(var t in a.data[\"datawrapper-height\"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data[\"datawrapper-height\"][t]+\"px\";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();","type":"raw_html"},{"_id":"SUVD4CMYDVHUVIDMQOPAJU4UTE","additional_properties":{"_id":1732138527282,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"<b>Counties that flipped</b>","type":"text"},{"_id":"Q75KDWO4BVF2LHSBNEUBU7TZ4I","additional_properties":{"_id":1732138527283,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"This year, three counties — <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/gop-flip-of-baldwin-county-shows-how-trump-election-strategy-in-georgia-paid-off/6FXZBV73WBAJLOUP6TVBJQRC7I/\" target=\"_blank\">Baldwin</a>, Washington and Jefferson — flipped<b> </b>from voting for President Joe Biden in 2020 to narrow Trump wins. The Republican candidate gained between 1 and 4 percentage points from the last presidential election to cross the 50% threshold.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DW2GPSLMD5D67OBWA64WULOQ7Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1732138527284,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"<a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/this-georgia-pastor-is-a-reagan-republican-in-a-place-where-voters-are-evenly-split/OYBP26BKPZG4VNDRI5W34KR2Y4/\" target=\"_blank\">Brant Kennedy, a Republican who lives in Washington County</a>, said the local GOP worked hard to get to this point.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PGMXACIKHVEJJEJFKB4BXJ4GOQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1732138527285,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"“We called people. We had phone lists. I’m a pastor, so I had people at church think of 10 people and talk to them about early voting. We saw people came and voted early,” he said. “So it worked.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"NQYAU66A5BB5HB6J7CZIBHRBYU","additional_properties":{"_id":1732138527286,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"Washington County is also ethnically diverse. Black residents make up about 51% of the county’s population and white residents account for 43% of the population, according to the Census’ latest five-year American Community Survey. While Black voters typically support Democrats, white voters in rural areas tend to support Republicans.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TAAXKVD2UZBPDP237Z6TCX6KFA","additional_properties":{"_id":1732138527287,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"Kennedy, the local GOP’s vice chair, said the voters themselves are changing.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BY4PBT627FAV7IGOCQGRZ5VKMI","additional_properties":{"_id":1732138527288,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"alignment":"left","content":"“There are Black people here who are seeing that the Democrats are not really the party that’s going to help them, and that the policies that Republicans have proposed are the ones that are really going to help them financially,” he said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7EF7LWBJ5JEHHLSRBQPGMLSPEA","additional_properties":{"_id":1732203734128,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"alignment":"left","content":"Data found that in Washington County, Black voters showed up at the same rate this year as in 2020, about 44%. White voters also turned out at their same rate, making up about 51% of voters.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2UUIQ5SQGBDVVJ3FG7EOO22QOE","additional_properties":{"_id":1732229959632,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"alignment":"left","content":"Eddie Miller, who is Black and lives in Washington County, said he voted for Trump in this year’s election.","type":"text"},{"_id":"J47J3GCHEJE7ZHDYHPJQEFVM7U","additional_properties":{"_id":1732229959633,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"alignment":"left","content":"“It’s time we look at politics from a different angle,” he said. “When you’re Black, you get criticized for voting the opposite way. I’ve always been different. I’m going to continue to be different.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"GEBBH3FAS5CSFOWID4QVZ4PNOU","additional_properties":{"_id":"FAOWDHSB5ZFD3IHKFZ5QE5PSUE","comments":[]},"alignment":"right","content":"<CustomInfoBox id=\"FYMFYLUVOJHBHBR74RVKVV74BI\" />","type":"raw_html"},{"_id":"GPGILGFH75FVFKCCZC466WZVEE","additional_properties":{"_id":1732203734130,"comments":[{"date":"2024-11-22T22:39:58.543Z","email":"Amanda.DeArmon@ajc.com","end":98,"start":96,"text":"put name of radio show in quotation marks","user":"Amanda DeArmon"}],"inline_comments":[]},"alignment":"left","content":"These counties should also be a priority for Democrats, Stephen Lawson, a Republican strategist, <a href=\"https://open.spotify.com/episode/0PVg4WSReEc7Yhq3ln2BOA?si=b1694af45fe04579\" target=\"_blank\">told the “Politically Georgia” radio show</a>.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HLJJCEZMABCF3II27JAR44JCXA","additional_properties":{"_id":1732203734131,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"alignment":"left","content":"“When you talk about the Black vote, particularly in rural counties, you talk about Baldwin, Washington County, they are not a monolithic voting bloc. They are not just urban areas. We’re talking about rural counties across the state,” he said. “That’s probably where, on the margins, the next election will be decided.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"77Q6KONGM5CDFJ73EQKCFVE5FQ","additional_properties":{"_id":"2IXS4FC5JNAKFGWU7TSZZK2S4U","comments":[]},"alignment":"center","content":"<iframe title=\"From 2020 to 2024 these three counties flipped from Democrat to Republican\" aria-label=\"Map\" id=\"datawrapper-chart-e2SIK\" src=\"https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/e2SIK/4/\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;\" height=\"888\" data-external=\"1\"></iframe><script type=\"text/javascript\">!function(){\"use strict\";window.addEventListener(\"message\",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[\"datawrapper-height\"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll(\"iframe\");for(var t in a.data[\"datawrapper-height\"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data[\"datawrapper-height\"][t]+\"px\";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();<\/script>","type":"raw_html"},{"_id":"S4N63YAQPNCDLERPRUC3KREKWI","additional_properties":{"_id":1732306887930,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"<b>Counties that got bluer</b>","type":"text"},{"_id":"CEH25ACYWJHA3FELPKRUKPDR4E","additional_properties":{"_id":1732138527292,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"In the 2016 election, longtime Republican strongholds Cobb and Gwinnett counties flipped for Democrats, joining deep blue<b> </b>DeKalb and Clayton counties. But a few counties south of Atlanta have also seen significant shifts to the left.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4ZZUD32H7NBV7DYIQIJJ4KEYCM","additional_properties":{"_id":1732138527293,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"Rockdale, Henry and Douglas counties have seen the largest movements toward Democrats since 2008, with a 15 to 19 percentage point increase in vote share for Kamala Harris compared to Barack Obama.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WSYBKTQRHJHEFHCVVNH52EGQIY","additional_properties":{"_id":1732138527294,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"Joyce Broadwater, a real estate agent who lived in Rockdale County for many years and has been involved in Democratic politics, said the racial composition of the county has made it more Democratic.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OT36DIE25ZCENBKF3M6GC4GZDA","additional_properties":{"_id":1732138527295,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"“If you look at the demographics, there’s more Black people in Rockdale than there used to be,” she said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"M5LHPA4HNNEQBDZBMHW4EEXEHY","additional_properties":{"_id":"QKQ3TIZBVJFLDFVDQE3676GO6I","comments":[]},"content":"Georgia avoided a wave of lawsuits after Election Day","type":"interstitial_link","url":"https://www.ajc.com/politics/georgia-fewer-postelection-disputes-than-2020-despite-early-legal-blitz/5B36AXTCUBA6JAMVANEH2X552Q/"},{"_id":"6BXERQ7YWJEJ3LO5JOKPRK3B3I","additional_properties":{"_id":1732229959641,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"The number of Black voters in Rockdale and Douglas counties grew between 76% and 78% from 2008 to<b> </b>2024. 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White vote share dropped by 24 percentage points in Rockdale and 20 percentage points in Douglas over the same period.","type":"text"},{"_id":"V74QLCG5O5DWNASS2EJX5HRVKU","additional_properties":{"_id":1732207561654,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[{"comment":"high quality ","pos":16}]},"content":"Broadwater said high-quality subdivisions offering more land for lower<b> </b>prices have attracted many Black families to the county.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QRYWH3WU25FCZFMNIR5VFFZHRQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1732138527296,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"“You move outside Atlanta, you get a little bit more for your money,” she said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"75UJZDCQLFCHDEKOTBETERTU7Y","additional_properties":{"_id":1732138527297,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"Rochelle Howard, a Democrat in Douglas County, said in addition to more Black families moving into the county, she’s also seen more white families leave.","type":"text"},{"_id":"G6CS2VTNAFBWDLQFURMLR3TSWU","additional_properties":{"_id":1732138527299,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"“When we had the Fourth of July parade in Douglasville years ago, you had Blacks on the railroad track right there on that side and we had whites across the street. 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The last time Atlanta’s rate was higher was August 2019.","type":"text"},{"_id":"XZ6QYHE5HFH55JRNLWEDRRCII4","additional_properties":{"_id":1732207920127,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[{"comment":"with ","pos":47},{"comment":"have been education, health and hospitality","pos":97}]},"content":"The education, health and hospitality <a href=\"https://www.bls.gov/regions/southeast/ga_atlanta_msa.htm\" target=\"_blank\">sectors have shown the strongest growth</a> in the past year. .","type":"text"},{"_id":"CP4YJAIGQNAATAYX6YN5EJNMX4","additional_properties":{"_id":1732211004413,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"A year ago, many economists were predicting a recession as the Federal Reserve’s rate hikes made borrowing more costly for consumers and companies. Since then, growth has stubbornly persisted, but the pace has been slowing.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GSPTWN23ARFRDEJVDUYHI4USKI","additional_properties":{"_id":1732206475475,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[{"comment":"that ","pos":141}]},"content":"While there are no signs of an imminent downturn, the metro Atlanta economy has been decelerating since its rapid growth during 2021, a year when COVID-19 vaccines were distributed, federal government spending was high and the economy surged out of the pandemic. In the first 10 months of that year, <a href=\"https://www.bls.gov/regions/southeast/ga_atlanta_msa.htm\" target=\"_blank\">metro Atlanta</a> added 134,300 jobs.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WSR6U22JLFBMNPACL5GSOB4CIU","additional_properties":{"_id":1732206475476,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[{"comment":"has been uneven ","pos":88}]},"content":"This year, the same period has added up to just 6,600 jobs, with uneven hiring patterns and some sectors struggling.","type":"text"},{"_id":"46VLGX34RJHM7CTJ4GHJGMCFN4","additional_properties":{"_id":1732211004415,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[{"comment":"it may be that ","pos":124},{"comment":"some","pos":180}]},"content":"November has recently been a month for robust hiring in metro Atlanta, <a href=\"https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/ATLA013NAN\" target=\"_blank\">averaging 24,800 jobs</a> during the past four years. So maybe some of the spending hasn’t kicked in yet to fuel late-in-the-year growth.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7CZNFCZWEZD2DKTDRC7IAZPSJE","additional_properties":{"_id":1732211004416,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[{"comment":"between ","pos":184},{"comment":"and ","pos":202}]},"content":"Analysts and industry groups say they expect robust spending in the coming week. <a href=\"https://www.icsc.com/news-and-views/icsc-exchange/consumers-expected-to-spend-125-billion-over-thanksgiving-weekend-2024\" target=\"_blank\">ICSC</a>, which represents real estate and retail companies, said consumers will likely spend $125 billion from Thanksgiving through the following Monday, known as “Cyber Monday.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"AMECSD4XOREIBKJDQRXSRGD5ZI","additional_properties":{"_id":1732211004417,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[{"comment":"these ","pos":103}]},"content":"A survey showed that two-thirds of consumers planned to complete most of their holiday shopping during those five days, the <a href=\"https://www.icsc.com/news-and-views/icsc-exchange/consumers-expected-to-spend-125-billion-over-thanksgiving-weekend-2024\" target=\"_blank\">ICSC said</a>.","type":"text"},{"_id":"V727S4NF3JCX5CDTXUDZL32T3U","additional_properties":{"_id":1732211004418,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"The <a href=\"https://nrf.com/\" target=\"_blank\">National Retail Federation</a> predicts the most holiday spending since 2019, with up to $989 billion in retail sales.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BFD2SNKD5NAIRDQSPU3STPUVXM","additional_properties":{"_id":1732213568451,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"Administrative and support services — the sector that includes many office jobs — lost 2,900 positions in October, while the film industry and manufacturing also lost jobs. There has been no flood of filings for jobless benefits — one sign of a recession — but initial claims were up 1,341 from September, <a href=\"https://dol.georgia.gov/\" target=\"_blank\">the Labor Department </a>said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"Y2NCFRWIIBDERPFEUZDO3DUMXQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1732206475478,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"Among recent cuts, Atlanta-headquartered media company Scripps News <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/news/business/scripps-news-to-slash-jobs-in-atlanta-as-parent-company-cuts-costs/JCUACUNFXBHUZHY5IGIL7EI7DA/\">slashed 118 jobs</a> at its Buckhead offices, with cuts including anchors, editors and producers, according to a filing by the company with the state.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YIERK3VSZFEQTAVVOCAGUOEIFA","additional_properties":{"_id":1732206475479,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"During October, nearly 114,000 people in metro Atlanta were unemployed — out of work and actively seeking a job — up by 2,444 from the month before.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RH22WCIMCZFQ3DYLSTLEGTX7NY","additional_properties":{"_id":1732206475480,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[{"comment":"frequently ","pos":214}]},"content":"The number of unemployed — and the jobless rate — would have been higher, but the number of people in the workforce shrank during the month, according to <a href=\"https://dol.georgia.gov/\" target=\"_blank\">the Department of Labor</a>. That shrinkage doesn’t happen that often during October, according to <a href=\"https://www.bls.gov/regions/southeast/georgia.htm\" target=\"_blank\">the Bureau of Labor Statistics</a>.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BNOBJGE6TNFJXEWXAEYIIVSYPY","additional_properties":{"_id":1732206475481,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[{"comment":"the state of ","pos":56}]},"content":"Metro Atlanta’s economy accounts for 62% of the jobs in Georgia, a share that has edged up over the past five years, according to <a href=\"https://www.bls.gov/regions/southeast/georgia.htm\" target=\"_blank\">the BLS</a>. The region’s 29 counties range from 2.6% unemployment in Hall to 4.6% in Clayton.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WUBKEKWBPFCBBPNIKFSJX2QMSE","additional_properties":{"_id":1732206475482,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"While changes in presidential administrations do not typically mean large shifts in local economies, experts say Georgia could see an impact from the expected changes under the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump.","type":"text"},{"_id":"6LMPFZQIXRH5TLU73A5PSAYYNI","additional_properties":{"_id":1732206475483,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[{"comment":"Among his promises are ","pos":0}]},"content":"Trump’s announced plans include sweeping increases in tariffs — especially on Chinese imports — and massive deportations of undocumented persons.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BJQT6P7A5REMDK6AJL3OGMC7MU","additional_properties":{"_id":1732206475484,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[{"comment":"their","pos":63}]},"content":"Some manufacturers reportedly are stocking up on items to make those purchases before any tariffs are imposed — something a president can do by executive order. But products purchased after tariffs are in effect <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta-news/trump-says-high-tariffs-are-good-what-do-the-experts-say/Z24WONURUZCBHGX3WMECNEXDAU/\" target=\"_blank\">can be expected to cost more</a>, even if the importer absorbs part of the costs.","type":"text"},{"_id":"LR4VKK6EXJD2FFRT6XFBHYI3AM","additional_properties":{"_id":1732206475485,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[{"comment":"like ","pos":127}]},"content":"The promised deportations could target workers in some low-income sectors — especially hospitality and social assistance work, such as elder care — which <a href=\"https://www.ajc.com/politics/donald-trump-campaigned-on-change-what-does-it-mean-for-georgia/SZ2KWDMBKFHOFAWENST2KIW73Q/\" target=\"_blank\">might create labor shortages and higher costs</a> as employers search for workers<b>, </b>experts say.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UD6GU6GTGBFI5FUWOJ7SU57ATI","additional_properties":{"_id":1732211806580,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[{"comment":"In an email, ","pos":0}]},"content":"Wells Fargo economists said they are expecting somewhat more inflation and slower growth next year. “By raising consumer prices, tariffs impart a modest stagflationary shock to an economy,” the company said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SR3TMXQPUNHURHKIDOOE5MIGQA","additional_properties":{"_id":1732211806581,"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"content":"<br/>","type":"text"}],"first_publish_date":"2024-11-21T18:57:18.525Z","last_updated_date":"2024-11-21T18:57:18.842Z","canonical_url":"/news/atlanta-news/atlanta-job-growth-modest-in-october-as-seasonal-hiring-lags/ECIQ7MFTKVGUFBRGVHXAZR4QMY/","canonical_website":"ajc","credits":{"by":[{"_id":"michael-e-kanell","type":"author","version":"0.5.8","name":"Michael E. 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He has appeared on television and radio to analyze and report on business and economic developments. \n\n","social_links":[{"site":"email","url":"michael.kanell@ajc.com"},{"site":"facebook","url":"https://www.facebook.com/michaelekanell/"},{"site":"twitter","url":"https://twitter.com/michaelkanell"}],"socialLinks":[{"site":"email","url":"michael.kanell@ajc.com","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links."},{"site":"facebook","url":"https://www.facebook.com/michaelekanell/","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links."},{"site":"twitter","url":"https://twitter.com/michaelkanell","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links."}],"additional_properties":{"original":{"_id":"michael-e-kanell","byline":"Michael E. Kanell","org":"ajc","email":"michael.kanell@ajc.com","affiliations":"The Atlanta Journal-Constitution","role":"Business and economics reporter","status":true,"bio":"\nMichael E. 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In that role, he has appeared on television and radio talk shows and panel discussions to analyze and report on the region's business and economic developments.\n\nBefore coming to Atlanta, he covered business and technology for newspapers in Boston and around New England. \n\nDuring the 1980s, he reported from Central America, writing about civil wars and revolutions in Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua, the refugee crisis in southern Mexico and the status of Cuba, after a quarter-century of revolution and isolation.\n\nHe is the co-author of \"Presimetrics: What the Facts Tell Us About How the Presidents Measure Up On the Issues We Care About,\" a data-driven comparison of the performance of American presidents since World War II. \n\nHe has a bachelor's degree in history from Princeton University and a juris doctor degree from Boston University.","facebook":"https://www.facebook.com/michaelekanell/","twitter":"https://twitter.com/michaelkanell","custom_ajc_phone":"404-526-7044","books":[{"title":"Presimetrics: What the Facts Tell Us About How the Presidents Measure Up On the Issues We Care About ","url":"https://www.amazon.com/Presimetrics-Facts-Presidents-Measure-Issues/dp/B005HKSK8M","publisher":"Black Dog"}],"podcasts":[],"education":[],"awards":[],"last_updated_date":"2023-06-12T22:45:25.227Z","expertise":"7","image":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/ajc/04506b13-ea8c-4fa8-ad3d-48d0b9c77c27.png","beat":"Economy and business","author_type":"Staff","custom_ajc_website":"ajc"}}}]},"description":{"basic":"Metro Atlanta job growth continues with modest hiring in October."},"display_date":"2024-11-21T18:57:18.525Z","headlines":{"basic":"What metro Atlanta hiring in October tells us about the holiday season","meta_title":"Atlanta job growth modest in October as seasonal hiring lags","mobile":"","native":"","print":"","tablet":"","web":""},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"EI4JKMA7WLZTPIVIPSTPLMCVZY","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/XEpA_Vm0vlEfHPVf5khQr_wcQzY=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/EI4JKMA7WLZTPIVIPSTPLMCVZY.jpg","galleries":[],"iptc_job_identifier":"126991887W","iptc_source":"Orlando Sentinel","iptc_title":"MBR","keywords":["McClatchy Tribune"],"mime_type":"image/jpeg","originalName":"s3://ajc-arc-photo-integration/MCT/BIZ-RETAIL-HOLIDAY-SHOPPING-OS.jpg","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/ajc/EI4JKMA7WLZTPIVIPSTPLMCVZY.jpg","proxyUrl":"/resizer/XEpA_Vm0vlEfHPVf5khQr_wcQzY=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/EI4JKMA7WLZTPIVIPSTPLMCVZY.jpg","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/XEpA_Vm0vlEfHPVf5khQr_wcQzY=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/EI4JKMA7WLZTPIVIPSTPLMCVZY.jpg","restricted":false,"takenOn":"2022-11-04T17:04:00Z","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/pAvlglbSXbtw2O34Gi9EdaDneNs=/300x0/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-ajc/public/EI4JKMA7WLZTPIVIPSTPLMCVZY.jpg","usage_instructions":"undefined","version":1},"address":{},"auth":{"1":"d095fdd2517d8ad6e8e6b7a0d774ae94838ea017e328ede26b65481dc6edd642"},"caption":"The National Retail Federation predicts up to $989 billion in holiday retail sales, the best haul since 2019. 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